The Detroit Lions are 1-1 to begin the 2026 NFL season, and the latest NFL.com power rankings reflect it. Detroit has been very good offensively and has not been good defensively. The Lions host the New York Jets at Ford Field on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m. ET.
The Jets are also 1-1, and it is important for them to win the game. Detroit has not looked like a top-10 team in the NFL during the first two games of the season. So where do the Lions rank as the third week of the NFL season approaches?
Detroit Lions ranked 13th in latest NFL.com power rankings
Nick Shook of NFL.com ranked the Lions 13th in his Week 3 power rankings. Shook wrote, “Detroit’s offense is capable of hanging with most everyone. The opposite is true of the Lions’ defense, at least until the unit gets healthier in the back end. With a leaky secondary existing as a major liability, the Lions can’t realistically expect to beat the best, but their fight (and Jared Goff’s second-half performance) in Thursday night’s loss to Buffalo shows they’re still an above-average team with clear flaws.”
Shook has the Buffalo Bills second and the Jets 25th in the same rankings, which makes Sunday a game Detroit is expected to win at home.
Jared Goff is carrying the Detroit offense
Quarterback Jared Goff has completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 533 yards and six touchdowns through two games. He has yet to throw an interception this season. Goff and the offense are going to have to carry this team until the secondary gets healthy.
