The Detroit Lions (8-8) are officially eliminated from the 2026 playoffs, following a Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. With the postseason out of reach, the Lions are unsurprisingly ranked below the 14 teams expected to compete beyond the regular season. While the Lions still land in the teens across all power rankers, being the best of the eliminated teams isn\u2019t something this team will be happy with.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look at how things shook out in this week\u2019s power rankings.<\/p>\n
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ESPN: 15 (Previous rank: 14)<\/p>\n
From\u00a0ESPN Staff, excerpt from Eric Woodyard<\/a>:<\/p>\n What we learned this season:\u00a0The rushing attack isn\u2019t unstoppable.<\/p>\n The backfield duo of\u00a0Jahmyr Gibbs\u00a0and\u00a0David Montgomery\u00a0\u2014 aka \u201cSonic and Knuckles\u201d \u2014 got off to a record-setting start together in 2023 and 2024. While nearly splitting carries, they became the first pair of teammates in NFL history to reach at least 2,000 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns in their first 25 games together. However, as Gibbs took on a bigger snap count in 2025 (661 snaps compared with Montgomery\u2019s 366), there was a stark contrast to their rushing attack in wins versus losses. In wins, they have averaged north of 170 rushing yards and 5.8 yards per rush. In losses, those averages drop to 69.4 and 3.1, respectively.<\/p>\n Sporting News: 15 (Previous rank: 14)<\/p>\n From\u00a0Vinnie Iyer<\/a>:<\/p>\n The\u00a0Lions\u00a0haven\u2019t been running the ball like they did in previous seasons and Jared Goff has had trouble overcoming despite more gaudy net passing stats. The injuries defensively still cost them most.<\/p>\n The Ringer: 16 (Previous rank: 14)<\/p>\n From Diante Lee<\/a>:<\/p>\n Quarterback Jared Goff is in a recurring nightmare against Brian Flores. Goff\u2019s disastrous game against the Dolphins in 2020 precipitated the end of his tenure with the Rams, and he put up a similarly awful performance on Christmas against the Flores-coordinated Vikings defense.<\/p>\n Games like these give us a clear view of the paradox Goff traps a franchise in. He\u2019s too good (and his contract is too expensive) for Detroit to consider replacing him, but you can never be sure that he won\u2019t melt down like he did in Week 17. Detroit\u2019s offense needs an excellent play caller in 2026, or else we\u2019ll see more of Goff\u2019s flaws going forward.<\/p>\n The Athletic: 17 (Previous rank: 15)<\/p>\n From Josh Kendall and Chad Graff<\/a>:<\/p>\n Head coach check-in: Going to have to hear about it<\/p>\n Dan Campbell\u2019s job isn\u2019t in jeopardy despite his team\u2019s elimination from playoff contention. Still, after watching the offense falter in big moments without Ben Johnson and losing three straight down the stretch, Campbell will be asked if he can get Detroit over the hump about 1,000 times this offseason. Averaging 3.6 yards per play and losing to Max Brosmer\u2019s Vikings has consequences.<\/p>\n Yahoo Sports: 17 (Previous rank: 15)<\/p>\n From\u00a0Frank Schwab<\/a>:<\/p>\n Can the Lions bounce back in 2026? Their advanced metrics don\u2019t reflect the actual disappointment of Detroit\u2019s season. The Lions are\u00a0third in DVOA<\/a>\u00a0behind the Seahawks and Rams. They\u2019re\u00a010th in offensive EPA and 13th in defensive EPA,<\/a>\u00a0which is respectable. Their point differential of +65 doesn\u2019t fit a .500 team. It will be easy for everyone to talk themselves into Detroit being a team that rebounds and makes the playoffs next season.<\/p>\n NFL.com: 17 (Previous rank: 15)<\/p>\n From\u00a0Eric Edholm<\/a>:<\/p>\n The Lions\u2019 playoff chase ended with a thud, even if the writing had been on the wall. Still, for a Dan Campbell team to go out as meekly as this group did on Christmas Day was eye-opening. Flawed as Detroit was coming in, this was not a team that killed itself with turnovers.\u00a0Jared Goff\u00a0just looked spooked after the first few giveaways against the Vikings, and it spiraled into an unrecognizable ugly for him and this team, with a half dozen turnovers by game\u2019s end. What did we watch? Losing to a QB who didn\u2019t complete a pass longer than 10 yards only made it more painful. Everything since the playoff loss to Washington has been disappointing and just so\u00a0labored, as if the Lions felt the crush of the sky-high expectations they\u2019d earned while going against a darned-tough schedule. I won\u2019t count this group out, but it\u2019s going to take some inspired work from Campbell and Co. in order to get back to those dizzying heights again.<\/p>\n USA Today: 18 (Previous rank: 14)<\/p>\n