Power Rankings: Jared Goff's Regression Not Surprising

Lions dip in the majority of Week 15 NFL power rankings.

All Lions

Power ranking: 5th

Previous rank: 3rd

Detroit's quality of play the past few games has regressed. Against Chicago, self-inflicted wounds and poor offensive execution resulted in a surprising loss to a sub .500 football team. 

Moving forward, Detroit must find it's swagger and Jared Goff must stop turning the football over at such a high rate, especially if the team earns a spot in the playoffs. 

Bleacher Report

Power ranking: 5th

Previous rank: 7th

The Detroit Lions are 9-4. If they can win one more game this season, they will post 10 victories for the first time since 2014. The Lions will probably be the champions of the NFC North this year. It's been the best season in Motown in years. And it might be falling apart.

The Lions are just 2-2 over the past month, and the defense has stumbled badly. Edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson committed a costly offsides penalty that led to the go-ahead touchdown Sunday, and Hutchinson told reporters afterward that those are the kinds of mistakes that just cannot happen.

The Athletic

Power ranking: 8th

Previous rank: 6th

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta are each top 11 in fantasy points among rookies this season. Only the Houston Texans also have multiple rookies in that group. Gibbs is fifth with 134, and LaPorta is 11th with 110.6. However, each was pedestrian Sunday as Detroit lost for the second time in three games, leaving the Vikings within striking distance of the division lead.

Lions' Odds of Winning NFC North Dip

Sporting News

Power ranking: 7th

Previous rank: 7th

"The Lions' young defense is falling apart as it digs big holes for itself via giving up chunk runs and big pass plays. The Lions' offense has plenty of passing firepower with Jared Goff, but it's much better off pounding away on the ground with a lead and having its D tee off vs. predictable passing."

Pro Football Network

Power ranking: 8th

Previous rank: 7th

"The Lions are officially in trouble. They’re still running the ball well, but Jared Goff has been struggling, and their defense has fallen apart in the second half of the season.

Goff’s regression shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Lions have had to play musical chairs with the interior of their offensive line. That’s led to leaks on the interior, and Goff does not possess the athleticism or playmaking ability to create in a collapsing pocket."

ESPN

Power ranking: 6th

Previous rank: 6th

The Lions' offense can score with the best of them, ranking in the top 10 in scoring for the past two seasons, but it wasn't the best at capitalizing in the red zone to start the season. Through Week 9, Detroit's red zone efficiency (48.1%) was in the bottom tier of the league, tied with the Texans for 24th. But in their five games after the Week 9 bye week, the Lions have the fifth-best red zone efficiency (72.2%), with the running back tandem of rookie Jahmyr Gibbs and veteran David Montgomery thriving in the backfield

Yahoo!

Power ranking: 8th

Previous rank: 6th

The last time we saw the Lions look like a potential Super Bowl contender might have been all the way back in Week 4, when they dominated the Packers. Since then, they've had a few good performances but all against bad teams, and the last four games have been troubling. They should have lost to the Bears twice in that span, did lose once to Chicago and were outclassed at home by the Packers on Thanksgiving. The Lions are still very likely to win the division, though that's not a lock anymore. The real concern is that this Lions team we've seen the past few weeks looks like a prime one-and-done candidate for the playoffs.

USA Today

Power ranking: 7th

Previous rank: 7th

QB Jared Goff has looked awfully ordinary over the past seven games (4-3 record, 10 touchdowns, 10 turnovers). But at this point, the franchise may have little choice aside from making him the long-term answer … which could still be the right answer, price pending.