The Lions had no trouble bouncing back from their Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills by easily taking care of the Chicago Bears in Week 16 to move to 13-2 and remain in control for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
With the Philadelphia Eagles losing in Week 16, the Lions saw a chance to bump back up in the power rankings. Let’s run through those various media polls entering the penultimate week of the season.
USA Today
Current rank: 2
Last week’s rank: 3
What Nate Davis had to say: “The first team in franchise history to win 13 games, they’re trying to pave the NFC pathway to the Super Bowl directly to Ford Field. Plenty of work yet to do on that front, even for a team that’s almost certainly the franchise’s best of the Super Bowl era (since 1966) – the Lions’ 493 points and 7-0 road record are club bests – much as that’s also indicative of their checkered-at-best history over that period. Regardless, give Dan Campbell and Co. credit for continuing to play at a high level no matter how many injuries and other obstacles they must navigate. Detroit is the only team this season with a 1,000-yard rusher with 10 TDs (Jahmyr Gibbs) and a 1,000-yard receiver with 10 TDs (Amon-Ra St. Brown).”
Pro Football Talk
Current rank: 4
Last week’s rank: 5
What Mike Florio had to say: “They answered the bell against the Bears. It might all come down to Week 18 against the Vikings.”
ESPN NFL Nation
Current rank: 3
Last week’s rank: 1
What Eric Woodyard had to say: “(Cornerback Terrion) Arnold has been a pivotal player in Detroit’s first 13-win team with 52 total tackles and nine passes defended. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn says Arnold has “ice water in his veins” and has high expectations for him going forward. “We’re putting a lot of pressure on this player by the way that we play, but there’s no other way that he would want it,” Glenn said Dec. 12. ‘So, I’m glad we’ve got him for the simple fact that he’s going to be one of the top corners in this league as his years progress.’”
ESPN’s writers were tasked with picking their team’s rookie of the year.
NFL.com
Current rank: 3
Last week’s rank: 4
What Eric Edholm had to say: “In his first game since running mate David Montgomery suffered a serious knee injury, Jahmyr Gibbs racked up 109 yards and a touchdown on the ground, caught four passes for 45 yards and played his part as the decoy in a cheeky trick play that had the good vibes flowing again in a win over the Bears. Even against a team that has now lost nine straight, it was an important statement for the Lions to show that they can take care of business amid all the injuries and coming off their first loss in three months. The victory took on more significance when the Commanders came back to beat the Eagles, who were nipping at Detroit’s heels for the top seed in the NFC. The Lions are back in business, though the defense is going to remain a weekly worry. The unit made more plays against the Bears than it did in the previous two weeks, but there was still plenty to clean up.”
Yahoo Sports
Current rank: 3
Last week’s rank: 3
What Frank Schwab had to say: “A matchup between two 14-2 teams in the regular-season finale, with the winner getting the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the loser going on the road wild-card weekend with a 14-3 record, is still in play. Detroit faces the 49ers in Week 17, though that test looks easier with the current state of the 49ers.”
CBS Sports
Current rank: 3
Last week’s rank: 4
What Pete Prisco had to say: “The offense showed it can move the football in any type of weather in the blowout of the Bears. The undermanned defense gave up yards, but made stops when needed.”
USA Today
Current rank: 2
Last week’s rank: 3
What Nate Davis had to say: “The first team in franchise history to win 13 games, they’re trying to pave the NFC pathway to the Super Bowl directly to Ford Field. Plenty of work yet to do on that front, even for a team that’s almost certainly the franchise’s best of the Super Bowl era (since 1966) – the Lions’ 493 points and 7-0 road record are club bests – much as that’s also indicative of their checkered-at-best history over that period. Regardless, give Dan Campbell and Co. credit for continuing to play at a high level no matter how many injuries and other obstacles they must navigate. Detroit is the only team this season with a 1,000-yard rusher with 10 TDs (Jahmyr Gibbs) and a 1,000-yard receiver with 10 TDs (Amon-Ra St. Brown).”
Pro Football Talk
Current rank: 4
Last week’s rank: 5
What Mike Florio had to say: “They answered the bell against the Bears. It might all come down to Week 18 against the Vikings.”
ESPN NFL Nation
Current rank: 3
Last week’s rank: 1
What Eric Woodyard had to say: “(Cornerback Terrion) Arnold has been a pivotal player in Detroit’s first 13-win team with 52 total tackles and nine passes defended. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn says Arnold has “ice water in his veins” and has high expectations for him going forward. “We’re putting a lot of pressure on this player by the way that we play, but there’s no other way that he would want it,” Glenn said Dec. 12. ‘So, I’m glad we’ve got him for the simple fact that he’s going to be one of the top corners in this league as his years progress.’”
ESPN’s writers were tasked with picking their team’s rookie of the year.
NFL.com
Current rank: 3
Last week’s rank: 4
What Eric Edholm had to say: “In his first game since running mate David Montgomery suffered a serious knee injury, Jahmyr Gibbs racked up 109 yards and a touchdown on the ground, caught four passes for 45 yards and played his part as the decoy in a cheeky trick play that had the good vibes flowing again in a win over the Bears. Even against a team that has now lost nine straight, it was an important statement for the Lions to show that they can take care of business amid all the injuries and coming off their first loss in three months. The victory took on more significance when the Commanders came back to beat the Eagles, who were nipping at Detroit’s heels for the top seed in the NFC. The Lions are back in business, though the defense is going to remain a weekly worry. The unit made more plays against the Bears than it did in the previous two weeks, but there was still plenty to clean up.”
Yahoo Sports
Current rank: 3
Last week’s rank: 3
What Frank Schwab had to say: “A matchup between two 14-2 teams in the regular-season finale, with the winner getting the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the loser going on the road wild-card weekend with a 14-3 record, is still in play. Detroit faces the 49ers in Week 17, though that test looks easier with the current state of the 49ers.”
CBS Sports
Current rank: 3
Last week’s rank: 4
What Pete Prisco had to say: “The offense showed it can move the football in any type of weather in the blowout of the Bears. The undermanned defense gave up yards, but made stops when needed.”