Here is a look at Week 14 NFL power rankings.
In the majority of polls, the Detroit Lions dipped, following a disappointing home loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Power ranking:Â 9th
Last ranking:Â 6th
Food for thought: The Lions have faced incredible attrition once again this year on the injury front. On top of that, as we discussed ad nauseum before the start of the season, they made two coordinator changes and seemed to whiff on one of them. The offensive line is a shell of itself. And…the team is still having a season that, like, 15 other teams would sell a soul for. Detroit isn’t what it was, but not every season contains neatly linear progress en route to that Super Bowl berth.Â
Power ranking:Â 11th
Last ranking:Â 8th
The Lions are still fighting for a playoff spot after entering the season with high expectations as Super Bowl contenders. Detroit’s pass rush has struggled with just four sacks over the past four games; Hutchinson had 1.5 sacks in a rough November. The Lions need Hutchinson, and the defense, to find a groove. “Look, we have five games left of the regular season. We’re at a point where there’s some adversity for sure,” he said during Sunday’s practice. “We call ourselves a gritty team, it’s all over this building. It’s what people say about us, but I think it’s easy to be gritty when you’re winning games and it’s all sunshine and rainbows.”
Power ranking:Â 10th
Last ranking:Â 8th
The Lions offense played pretty well on Thanksgiving Day against a good Packers defense, but St. Brown is what takes that group to a different level. It doesn’t help his prospects that Detroit isn’t on an extended break, with a second straight Thursday game looming.
Power ranking:Â 15th
Last ranking:Â 8th
They would be out of the playoffs right now, which is hard to believe. They just haven’t looked right all season long. They face a big one against the Cowboys this week.
Power ranking:Â 6th
Last ranking:Â 6th
Head coach Dan Campbell took over play calling duties about a month ago, and so far he’s accomplished the goal of getting the Lions back to their preferred identity on offense. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs looks better than ever, receiver Jameson Williams has catapulted to a new level, and this revamped offensive line is finally jelling.
Yet I feel an urge to sell all my Lions stock. Quarterback Jared Goff’s consistency falls off in the fourth quarter week after week, and this offense can’t function if he won’t rise to the occasion late in games. I need to see a major statement from Detroit in the next two weeks, or the Lions will fall out of consideration as real contenders this year.
Power ranking:Â 13th
Last ranking:Â 10th
The Lions have seen their defensive issues, especially against the pass, catching up to them big-time of late with too much being put on Jared Goff and the offense to win shootouts. Seeing the hot Cowboys and Rams back-to-back won’t help.
USA Today
Power ranking:Â 12th
Last ranking:Â 9th
Even if they can once again avert their first two-game regular-season losing streak since 2022, there’s no scenario that gets them back into the projected NFC playoff field this week − circumstances that illustrate how much this team is struggling with its coaching staff turnover.
Bleacher Report
Power ranking:Â 9th
Last ranking:Â 9th
The roles reversed between the Lions and the Green Bay Packers when compared to last season. The Lions remain a quality squad, yet Detroit lost both games to Green Bay this year whereas Detroit won both divisional meetings during the 2024 campaign.
The rivalry points to bigger issues. Dan Campbell’s team is not executing and making the plays it previously did. The Lions have already lost three more games this fall. Currently, Detroit sits just on the outside of the playoff standings after losing two of its last three games. The schedule doesn’t let up over the next two weeks, with the surging Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams next on the docket.
Power ranking:Â 12th
Last ranking:Â 9th
The Lions are in “a little bit of a hole” now, as Dan Campbell said, and not just because he’s too much of a fourth-down gambler for his own good. The ankle injury to WR Amon-Ra St. Brown now looms really large.
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