The Detroit Lions (8-7) fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-24 in Week 16, a game that delivered a massive blow to the Lions’ chances of making the postseason. Despite being touchdown favorites, the Lions were never able to gain control of the game and once again failed to live up to their potential.
Let’s take a look at how things shook out in this week’s power rankings.
Sports Illustrated: 12 (Previous rank: 13)
Forget about the ridiculous nine-minute long, strangely narrativized explanation for the offensive pass interference
at the end of this game. This was the call that officials should be hiding from on Monday morning. The one that actually cost the Lions a postseason berth.
The Ringer: 14 (Previous rank: 7)
The good news is Detroit should be fine in 2026 and beyond.
Detroit’s playoff chances were effectively washed away in Sunday’s wild loss to Pittsburgh. The Lions haven’t had a bad season, but the team regressed just enough on offense to reveal what should be the priorities for that unit: finding a new play caller and a little more talent on the offensive line.
The good thing for the Lions is that the team as a whole is still in a healthy enough place to make those tweaks. The upcoming draft should be deep with guards, and coaching movement elsewhere in the league might free up an opportunity to upgrade its offensive coordinator. With a strong offseason, we’ll look back at 2025 as just a blip in the Dan Campbell era.
ESPN: 14 (Previous rank: 12)
From ESPN Staff, excerpt from Eric Woodyard:
Rookie of the year: Wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa
Although TeSlaa has received limited action, the rookie receiver has been a star in his role. Five of his 12 receptions have gone for touchdowns. He has also produced several jaw-dropping plays, including a ridiculous one-handed grab for his first career touchdown in Week 1 against the Packers. TeSlaa is the fourth rookie wide receiver in franchise history to log at least five touchdown receptions, joining Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021), Titus Young (2011) and Roy Williams (2004).
USA Today: 14 (Previous rank: 13)
Their first losing streak since 2022 could also lead to their first playoff absence since 2022.
Sporting News: 14 (Previous rank: 13)
The Lions have been struggling to run the ball at will like they did last season and taking that element away, as the Steelers did. That and an injury-depleted defense have been the downfall for Detroit as a playoff contender.
The Athletic: 15 (Previous rank: 13)
From Josh Kendall and Chad Graff:
One concern: How do they fix the defense?
For all the concern about how Detroit would fare after losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, it has been the defense that has fallen apart this season. The offense remains one of the game’s best, but the defense ranks 26th in EPA per play since Week 8.
Yahoo Sports: 15 (Previous rank: 13)
There has been angst about the officiating, but what were the Lions doing making it that close against the Steelers at home? And, to go a step further, how did the Lions get themselves in a position to need to beat Pittsburgh to realistically stay alive for the playoffs? This season has been an utter disappointment. They’re 4-6 since Week 5. And with many massive contracts on the books with more big extensions to come, it’s possible we’ve already seen the peak for this Lions core.
NFL.com: 15 (Previous rank: 14)
The Lions’ season, for all intents and purposes, might have come to an end on a failed fourth-and-goal play — one of the wilder ones you’ll see — and it was somewhat fitting for a frustrating season in Detroit. Their playoff chances aren’t completely gone, but it’s going to take something miraculous to get them in now. Two more road games remain, and the Lions need to win one just to avoid finishing below .500. They just never caught fire after the bye, and on Sunday, they lost back-to-back games for the first time in more than three years. Detroit’s run game has stalled, and a beat-up offensive line had something to do with that. The Steelers also had their way with the Lions defense, which has been competitive but unable to stop the bleeding. It’s a tough finish for a team that had taken the league by storm the past two seasons. It doesn’t appear to be in the cards this time around.
CBS Sports: 17 (Previous rank: 18)
They face long odds to make the playoffs now, which has to be a major disappointment for a team with high expectations coming into this year. The defense is bad.
