NFL Power Rankings: 3 Reasons Green Bay Packers Are Better Than Detroit Lions

We may be only one month into the NFL season, but only two unbeaten teams remain, and they both reside in the NFC North. The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions may both be unblemished at 4-0, but they have reached this record in very different ways.

The upstart Lions are rapidly improving, but here are three reasons why the Packers are still the class of the NFL.

Dominance

The manner in which the Packers and Lions have won their games has been extremely different. The Lions have had to come from behind in three of their four wins and have won by seven or less points in each of those come-from-behind victories.

The Packers, on the other hand, have generally been dominant and have only had to overcome a first-half deficit once, against the Carolina Panthers. Some may say that the Lions have great character, but I simply think the Packers have been more impressive.

At some point, playing catch-up will come back to bite the Lions, but Green Bay's comfortable victories are a formula it can continue to repeat throughout the season. The Lions have beaten their opponents, but the Packers have outclassed theirs. 

Super Bowl Pedigree

Some may consider it to be overrated, but Green Bay's run to the Super Bowl last season shouldn't be overlooked. In the NFL, Super Bowl winners tend to have sustained success in terms of making the playoffs and getting back to the big game.

Obviously the Lions have to start somewhere, but their lack of experience will likely hurt them at some point—either in the regular season or the postseason. Because of their general youth, the Lions probably think that things will continue to come easily moving forward.

The Packers have been through all the battles, though, and they know what it's like to win the Super Bowl whilst being an underdog. The Lions have yet to go through the paces and could certainly shrivel up in the big situations. 

Aaron Rodgers

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has all the skills and is quickly becoming an elite passer, but nobody, not even Tom Brady in my opinion, can match up to Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers.

You know a quarterback is great when they throw for over 400 yards and score six touchdowns and you aren't even surprised. That's exactly what Rodgers did against the Denver Broncos last week, but that type of performance is almost expected.

It feels as if Rodgers and the offense can score a touchdown whenever they want when they're on the field. His manipulation of opposing defenses and ability to use his legs make him the most dangerous and well-rounded signal caller in the game. When push comes to shove, there's nobody I would rather have.

Mike Chiari's Week 5 NFL Power Rankings	Previous Week's Ranking
1. Green Bay Packers	1
2. Detroit Lions	2
3. New Orleans Saints	3
4. Houston Texans	6
5. Baltimore Ravens	8
6. New England Patriots	5
7. San Diego Chargers	7
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	14
9. Buffalo Bills	4
10. San Francisco 49ers	18
11. New York Giants	12
12. Tennessee Titans	21
13. Washington Redskins	13
14. Atlanta Falcons	16
15. New York Jets	9
16. Dallas Cowboys	10
17. Pittsburgh Steelers	11
18. Oakland Raiders	17
19. Philadelphia Eagles	15
20. Chicago Bears	19
21. Cincinnati Bengals	25
22. Carolina Panthers	22
23. Cleveland Browns	20
24. Arizona Cardinals	23
25. Seattle Seahawks	27
26. Denver Broncos	24
27. Jacksonville Jaguars	26
28. Kansas City Chiefs	32
29. St. Louis Rams	28
30. Indianapolis Colts	31
31. Miami Dolphins	30
32. Minnesota Vikings	29