NFL power rankings, Week 8: Lions falling into bottom tier of league

The Detroit Lions started off the season looking pretty good, but both sides of the ball have quickly fallen back down to earth. Matthew Stafford and the rest of the offense isn't as high-flying as advertised, while the defense is quickly showing that some of the big plays they made a season ago just aren't something they can pull off with regularity. They lost to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, and are falling in the weekly power rankings.

They've been as high as the top five on some rankings, but at this point in the season, Ryan Van Bibber of SB Nation has the Lions all the way down at No. 24:

24. Detroit Lions (LW: 21, 2-4): Maybe the Lions thought it was throwback season, giving fans a little taste of the Millen era teams just so they appreciate what things that much more.

Many didn't expect the Lions to be in this position, and on top of that, many thought being one spot above the New Orleans Saints would be pretty good, but this season goes to show that the NFL is simply hard to predict. ESPN didn't move the Lions down in their Week 8 rankings, electing to leave them at No. 19.

Brian Billick of FOX Sports noted the relatively strong play of the mostly-decimated Detroit secondary of late, but noted that the offense is lagging far, far behind. He has the Lions at No. 18 on his rankings. Sealing SB Nation in as the lowest of the major rankings we're covering this week, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports has the Lions at No. 20, which is actually up two spots from last week, oddly enough.