Week 15 played out as expected for the Detroit Lions losing a lopsided game to the Tennessee Titans, so it’s not overly surprising they held steady in most rankings — stuck in the bottom third of the league in every poll.
The main themes in explaining their rankings this week include the defense not being big enough, the firing of Brayden Coombs, and the resilience of Matthew Stafford to play through injury.
Let’s take a closer look at what the national analysts thought of the Lions’ victory and what the experts are saying this week.
Touchdown Wire: 26 (Previous: 26)
“The defense could not stop the Titans on Sunday, and that put the Lions offense in a position where they needed to be perfect to keep pace with Tennessee. On this day, with a banged-up Matthew Stafford, the offense was good but far short of perfect on a day they needed to be. The afternoon ended with Stafford pulled from the game (coach’s decision) and the Lions thinking about how to fix things for the future.
“A quick note on Stafford. The man is a warrior for suiting up on Sunday. Full credit to him for gutting it out through the pain.” — Mark Schofield
USA Today: 30 (Previous 29)
“Hear the one about the special teams’ coach who went rogue and decided on his own to call a fake punt? Yep, the latest goings-on from Motown.” — Nate Davis
NFL: 29 (Previous: 28)
“Matthew Stafford is one tough dude. The veteran quarterback knew the Lions needed a win on Sunday to keep their faint playoff hopes alive, so he decided to play through a painful rib injury sustained a week earlier against the Packers. Stafford delivered a strong performance despite his physical issues, but it wasn’t near enough for a Lions team that was outclassed in a 46-25 loss to the Titans. There will be waves of speculation surrounding Stafford and his future this offseason, but the Lions would be wise to put the lion’s share of their focus on how to fix their putrid defense. It was exposed again by an explosive Titans offense, which piled up 463 yards and six touchdowns in Detroit’s ninth loss of the season.” — Dan Hanzus
ESPN: 25 (Previous: 25)
“Most underrated star: P Jack Fox. Defensive end Romeo Okwara is another worthy candidate, but Fox has had a phenomenal rookie season. He has averaged 49.5 yards per punt and a net punting average of 45.5 yards. As of now, his gross average yardage is the No. 11 all-time, single-season mark in NFL history, and his net punting average is third all time. He has flipped fields with regularity and been an asset mere months after winning a close battle with Arryn Siposs in training camp. Now he looks like a long-term solution at the position and represents one area the team’s new general manager and coach don’t have to be concerned with.” — Michael Rothstein
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CBS Sports: 29 (Previous 29)
“They are already conducting general manager interviews, and whoever gets the job will be facing a tough task to turn it around. Will Matt Stafford be a part of it?” — Pete Prisco
Sports Illustrated: 26 (Previous: 28)
“Well, the interim head coach had to fire the special teams’ coordinator mid-week, which is about how things have gone this year in Detroit.” — Note: MMQB uses a rotating staff to make selections, so they will sometimes vary drastically from week to week.
Sporting News: 24 (Previous: 22)
“The Lions have showed some heart and fight with Matt Patricia gone but it’s not enough with their defensive ineptitude holding back whatever positive offensive vibes they have.” — Vinnie Iyer