The Detroit Lions are back and ready to rock, but this time around, they’re doing it without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. So, the big question is whether or not they’ll have as solid a record as they have for the past few years without Johnson and Glenn calling the plays.
Of course, the Lions still have Dan Campbell as their head coach, and they have key players in Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Aidan Hutchinson and others. But, some NFL analysts and experts don’t think that will be enough to get rid of the sting of not having their longtime coaching staff around them.
It’s early to look at NFL power rankings but not too early. Heck, NFL analysts start posting their power rankings the second the big game is over in February, so August doesn’t seem too premature. Now, Ralph Vacchiano at Fox Sports has released his 2025 NFL power rankings, and it’s interesting where he has teams land.
2025 NFL Power Rankings and the Detroit Lions
In his piece, which was published on Monday, July 28, Vacchiano admits that these are early power rankings that that things could change a lot before the first NFL snap takes place.
“The summer could change a lot, especially when the preseason games (and the injuries) begin,” he states in the piece. “But for now, here’s our preseason look at how the league is ranked from bottom to top after free agency and the draft, and now that every NFL team has officially opened camp.”
GettyDan Campbell of the Detroit Lions.
So, what about the Lions? He has them way down at No. 9 on the tally. In the piece, he says that the Lions “could probably get over their shocking 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round last year by chalking it up to their abundance of defensive injuries. But now they have other losses to overcome.”
He adds that the Lions lost Johnson and Glenn, and those guys took five assistants. “They also lost two offensive linemen (G Kevin Zeitler, C Frank Ragnow) and two key defensive players (CB Carlton Davis, edge rusher Za’Darius Smith) in free agency. They are still loaded and dangerous, but that is a lot to overcome,” he adds.
What’s wild is that the Green Bay Packers are No. 5 on the tally. How can that be? It’s not cool to the see Lions fall to the Packers, even if it’s just a preseason estimate.
The Best Team in the League
Now, let’s see which team Vacchiano picks as the best in the NFL heading into the 2025-26 season. It’s reigning champions the Philadelphia Eagles.
“The defending champs deserve the No. 1 spot for now, but they only have a tenuous hold on it,” he notes in the piece. He adds that “as long as Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts are healthy, they are as good, deep and talented as any team in the league.”
He mentions the Eagles’ prized running back, too, saying that, “and while Saquon Barkley certainly is good enough to duplicate his remarkable 2024 season, it might be asking a lot of the 28-year-old after a career-high — by far — 482 touches, including the playoffs.”
So, to be the best, one has to beat the best, and this season, it appears that team would be the Eagles. May the best team win.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Lions Fall to Major Rival in New Power Rankings appeared first on Heavy Sports.