NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Lions continue to fall in national eye

After a heartbreaking loss in Week 1 and an implosion in Week 2, the Detorit Lions continue to drop in the national power rankings and questions are alreading swirling around how long coach Matt Patricia can hold onto his job.

Let’s take a look at where the Lions stand in the national eye.

USA Today: 28 (Previous 23)

“They simply can’t close, now the first team in league history to lose four consecutive games in which they’d held a double-digit lead.” — Nate Davis

Touchdown Wire: 31 (Previous: 26)

“Give Matt Patricia this: The Lions’ head coach is now a part of NFL history. On Sunday, the Lions blew an early 14-3 lead to the Packers, and in doing so, became the first team in the 100-year history of the league to blow double-digit leads in four straight games (per the Elias Sports Buerau). Last week, they made Mitchell Trubisky look like Aaron Rodgers in the fourth quarter with their injured secondary and misbegotten man coverage. This week, Aaron Rodgers didn’t need any help looking like Aaron Rodgers. The Lions cashiered Jim Caldwell after the 2017 season because they were tired of 9-7 results. Patricia is 9-24-1 in his third season. Outside of Adam Gase, there isn’t a more fireable coach in the NFL right now.” — Doug Farrar

NFL: 29 (Previous: 28)

“The Lions have no idea how to close out games and it’s going to get people fired. Detroit, which held a 14-3 advantage early in the second quarter against the Packers on Sunday, dropped its fourth straight game where it had a double-digit lead, a first in NFL history, according to Elias. The Lions now have blown seven double-digit leads in losses since the start of last season. Obviously, this is a poor reflection on head coach Matt Patricia, and the talk around his job security will continue to amplify with the Lions now riding an 11-game losing streak dating back to 2019. In fairness to Patricia, he continues to deal with injuries that are keeping some of his best players off the field on both sides of the ball. Still, the lack of urgency and discipline is hard not to trace back to the man in charge.” — Dan Hanzus

ESPN: 27 (Previous: 25)

“Under-the-radar fantasy standout: RB Adrian Peterson. It feels really strange putting a future first-ballot Hall of Famer in this category, but Peterson — acquired two weeks ago — leads the team in rushing yards and is averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He is going to get work every week — although it’ll often be in the form of a committee with Kerryon Johnson and D’Andre Swift — and still seems have the burst to break off the occasional big run, like he did Sunday with a 25-yard run to the outside. Is he an RB1? No. Is he intriguing as a flex play or an RB play in deeper leagues? Absolutely.” — Michael Rothstein

CBS Sports: 27 (Previous 26)

“They’ve had a ton of injuries, which They’ve had a ton of injuries, which showed up in the loss to the Packers. But how long does Matt Patricia have to turn it around?” — Pete Prisco

Sports Illustrated: 25 (Previous: 24)

“Matt Patricia and the rest of Patriot Midwest are desperately fighting to keep their tenure alive. Will a healthier roster lead to more success down the road, or is the team throwing away the last several prime years Matt Stafford has left?” — Conor Orr

Sporting News: 31 (Previous: 30)

“The Lions are really crumbling around Matthew Stafford as no Kenny Golladay has hurt and their defense is about to doom Matt Patricia.” — Vinnie Iyer