NFL Power Rankings: NFC North after preseason Week 2

2. Detroit Lions - 81

The Lions are a difficult team to judge as far as preseason action is concerned, because they haven't played guys like Jared Goff, David Montgomery, or Amon-Ra St. Brown. Last year, the Lions somehow finished 9-8 after starting the year 1-6.

Even more impressively, they made that turnaround yet still finished almost dead last in defense. Detroit finished third-worst against the pass and fourth-worst against the run last season. Offensively, though, they could put up some points. Detroit finished fifth in scoring offense last year, with an average of 26.6 points per game.

This is a team that could take a huge jump, like the Bears, only the jump would mean that the Lions go from a .500 team to winning the division. Offensively, they're only going to be better having added Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Defensively, they have to be better than last year. Detroit added key pieces to their secondary in free agency like Cameron Sutton and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, which should help tremendously.

If Goff can continue playing like he did a season ago, and the defense takes a jump, Detroit very well could come home with this division.