The Detroit Lions secured their second win of the 2020 season with a Week 6, 34-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars and they have seen the national stock rise a slight amount.
Let’s take a closer look at where the Lions stand in the national eye and what the experts are saying.
USA Today: 17 (Previous 23)
“After losing a league-record six consecutive games when they had a double-digit lead, they hung on to beat Jacksonville by 18. Keep a close eye on Detroit, which plays one team with a winning record (Colts) over next six weeks.” — Nate Davis
Touchdown Wire: 26 (Previous: 29)
“(The Lions) have won two of their last three games, with victories over Arizona and now the Jacksonville Jaguars… So, signs of improvement from Detroit. String a few more of these together, and they’ll be climbing higher up boards like this one.” — Mark Schofield
NFL: 22 (Previous: 25)
“The Lions finally put together a complete effort on Sunday and were rewarded with a rarity for Detroit: the blowout victory. On defense, it was the revival of the pass rush, which consistently got after Gardner Minshew and forced the mustachioed Jaguars passer into hurried throws and mistakes. On offense, we saw a breakout performance from D’Andre Swift, the rookie running back who went off for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Swift became the first Lions rookie with 100 rushing yards and two scores in a game since Barry Sanders in 1989. The performance should lead to a more prominent role for Swift, who has been splitting work with Adrian Peterson, a future Hall of Famer who has — to borrow a Parcells-ism — reached the “progress-stopper” stage of his career.” — Dan Hanzus
ESPN: 23 (Previous: 25)
“Most impactful injury: CB Desmond Trufant, This is largely because it has exposed some of the issues Detroit has in its secondary. The Lions might have played Jeff Okudah early anyway in place of Amani Oruwariye, but Trufant’s hamstring injuries have forced a starting group of Oruwariye and Okudah. Oruwariye has thrived, showing real growth in his second year. Okudah, the rookie, has struggled, but he can’t be replaced until Trufant returns. Being able to watch for a little while after getting used to the NFL speed did wonders for Darius Slay as a rookie. It could do the same for Okudah.” — Michael Rothstein
CBS Sports: 23 (Previous 23)
“They have won two consecutive games and dominated a bad Jaguars team. DeAndre Swift looks like the real deal at running back.” — Pete Prisco
Sports Illustrated: 24 (Previous: 23)
“It was nice to see D’Andre Swift have his first big game as a pro during a get-right win against the Jaguars. The Lions are good enough to escape the league’s bottom tier but I have a hard time believing they’re going to win enough games to keep the Matt Patricia era going into 2021.” — Mitch Goldich
Sporting News: 22 (Previous: 25)
“The Lions needed a win badly coming out of the bye for Matt Patricia and their defense, passing game and dynamic rookie D’Andre Swift all were key in taking care of a lesser Jaguars team. Don’t sleep on them getting back in the NFC wild-card race with a favorable schedule ahead.” — Vinnie Iyer