After losing a high-scoring showdown on Sunday at SoFi Stadium, the Detroit Lions are on the outside looking at both the NFC playoff picture and the top ten in (a majority of) this week’s power rankings.
The Lions started their Week 15 game against the NFC’s best, the Los Angeles Rams, really needing a win to help them get into the playoffs. By halftime, it looked like the Lions were on track. Jared Goff had already thrown three touchdowns, and the Rams’ defense could not stop the Lions’ receiver duo of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
But the Rams turned things around at the end of the second quarter and all through the third quarter, scoring 20 unanswered points and winning 41-34.
Because of this, NFL writers are not as confident in the Lions.
One source still thinks they are one of the best teams, putting them at No. 7, but most others rank them much lower, with one source putting them at No. 18.
Here’s a look at where the Lions stand in this week’s power rankings following their loss to the Rams.
Rank: 12
Last week: 11
“Gibbs is off to a record-breaking start to his young career with 47 total touchdowns, which is tied with Barry Sanders for the most touchdowns by a player in his first three seasons. Detroit has a track record of rewarding its top players, with nearly $1 billion worth of contracts signed to nine players since spring 2024. Gibbs is still on his rookie deal and has a fifth-year option in 2027, but he is eligible for an extension this offseason.” — Eric Woodyard
Rank: 13
Last week: 8
“Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is having a great year (third in splash plays), but it’s hard to laud anybody on this defense. Offensively, there are plenty of candidates, but Gibbs edges out Amon-Ra St. Brown because Gibbs is second in the league in touchdowns with 16 and fifth in scrimmage yards with 1,594. It’s going to be a shame if he’s not in the playoffs, and the Lions only have a 25 percent chance of making it after this loss.” — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
Rank: 14
Last Week: 10
“Another loss has put Detroit in a deeper hole, with the playoff hopes sliding even farther away. The Lions can get in, and winning the final three would give them a great chance of doing so. That would miraculously give Detroit 11 victories against a very tough schedule. But even as explosive as the Lions were at times against the Rams, Jahmyr Gibbs was bottled up, the pass protection became leaky and the defense allowed a season-worst 41 points.
“I’m not going to throw dirt on Detroit’s grave because I haven’t even dug the hole yet, although I admit I have the shovels oiled up and ready to go. Losing Brian Branch this late in the season was a huge blow to the defense, and I don’t know if the unit can make it through these final three games unscathed without him.” — Eric Edholm
Rank: 18
Last week: 17
“At 8-6, they can’t afford more than one more loss. The defense is really an issue right now, which might be their undoing.” — Pete Prisco
Rank: 13
Last week: 8
“A team this good and fun to watch? Notre Dame is definitely going to cry foul if the committee leaves the Lions out of the playoff field.” — Nate Davis
Rank: 12
Last week: 10
“They went toe-to-toe with the powerful L.A. Rams. But giving up 519 yards? That’s twice in four weeks someone lit up their woeful defense for at least 500.” — Ralph Vacchiano
Rank: 13
Last week: 12
“They’ll be dangerous if they qualify.” — Mike Florio
Rank: 7
Last week: 5
“Detroit’s fallen far short of its recent standard of regular-season domination, and there’s a decent shot that the Lions won’t make the playoffs. Yet it’s clear that they are still one of the league’s best teams. They built a two-score lead over the Rams on Sunday and bounced back after a rough third quarter to make the end of the game compelling, even if they ultimately came up short. If Detroit were to sneak into the postseason field, I think that it could pull off an upset over any team in the NFC.
“Had the Lions handled their business against the Vikings six weeks ago, they’d probably be cruising into the playoffs as a wild card. That kind of loss betrayed the expectations we had for this team, and it likely cost the Lions a chance to make a run.” — Diante Lee
Rank: 13
Last week: 11
“For 3 1/2 months, the Lions have alternated wins and losses. They haven’t had a two-game winning streak or two-game losing streak since the start of October. This is just what Detroit is. It’s an inconsistent team. The defense is not good enough after taking on key injuries.
“The Lions have a 96% chance to make the playoffs if they win out, according to The Athletic’s playoff simulations, but can a team that can’t win two straight games be trusted to do that?” — Frank Schwab