Detroit Lions Land in Bottom Half of Bizarre NFL Ranking

The Detroit Lions have climbed a long way in the NFL standings over the past several years.

Apparently, the Ford Field press box menu still has some catching up to do.

PhillyVoice’s Jimmy Kempski recently completed a decade-long project of reviewing press box food around the league and produced his final ranking of all 32 NFL teams. Detroit landed at No. 19, placing the Lions just inside the bottom half of the league.

It is not exactly the power ranking Dan Campbell will be posting inside the locker room.

Still, the details are entertaining.

Detroit’s pregame menu during Kempski’s visit included salad with tomatoes and mozzarella, lemon garlic green beans, Bolognese with cavatappi, grilled chicken with Alfredo and penne, Texas toast and assorted dessert bars.

The food received decidedly mixed reviews.

The chicken Alfredo earned reasonable marks, but the Bolognese did not fare as well. Kempski was particularly unimpressed with the Texas toast and questioned why the entire pregame spread, including the desserts, was removed well before kickoff and replaced by hot dogs. Halftime brought nachos with cheese sauce, while pulled chicken sandwiches were offered after the game.

Warm apple cider was one of Detroit’s better-reviewed offerings and may have helped keep the Lions from sliding further down the list.

For comparison, Dallas finished No. 1 by a wide margin. The Cowboys’ spread included prime rib, chicken, mac and cheese, multiple salads and sandwiches before the game, followed by an entirely different halftime menu featuring cheesesteaks, wings, nachos and a brisket taco setup.

Detroit was not playing that game.

There is at least some good news for the Ford Field kitchen.

This is not the worst press-box food ranking the Lions have received.

Back in 2020, a ranking covered here placed Detroit tied for 30th, with only the Lions’ Thanksgiving spread receiving much praise. That assessment criticized Detroit’s ordinary baked chicken, rice and salad offerings along with the lack of a substantial halftime or postgame meal.

The rankings came from different outlets and different evaluators, so jumping from 30th to 19th cannot exactly be treated like an official six-year climb up the food standings. It does show that mediocre is preferable to being discussed as one of the league’s worst.

There is also a significant difference between what reporters receive upstairs and what Lions fans can buy throughout Ford Field.

The team’s current Ford Field concessions information includes a broader assortment of stadium food, while Detroit has made specialty menus part of major events. Before the 2025 divisional playoff game, for example, Ford Field rolled out items including a double-smashburger, cheesesteaks, taquitos and loaded mac and cheese.

So this is hardly an indictment of eating at a Lions game.

It is a ranking of the food provided to reporters covering one.

Detroit has spent the past few years turning itself into one of the NFL’s more respected football operations. Reaching the top half of the press-box buffet rankings apparently remains unfinished business.