The Detroit Lions got the job done as they held off the Green Bay Packers 34-31 in a tough Week 14 divisional contest, holding onto the NFC’s best record at 12-1. While the Lions are snakebitten with injuries on defense, the unit is holding together well, while the Philadelphia Eagles are finding ways to win while inner turmoil begins to develop- as the Lions continue to put on a show week in and week out it’s no surprise that they remain atop various national media Power Rankings heading into Week 15. However, the continued discussion around Dan Campbell’s aggressiveness is getting a bit stale as the wins continue to come to Detroit.
Here is where the Lions land:
ESPN NFL Nation
Ranking: 1 (1)
Eric Woodyard: Detroit’s offense has posted 20-plus points for 11 straight games while averaging a league-high 31 points. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson uses a creative approach to getting the most out of his playmakers, including quarterback Jared Goff, running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, receivers Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, among others. Detroit also has a point differential of plus-183, which is its highest through the first 13 games of any season in franchise history. This offense has appeared unstoppable at times.
CBS Sports
Ranking: 1 (1)
Pete Prisco: Dan Campbell needs to stop with the fourth-down decisions. This team is too good for that. Now they face a big one with the Bills.
USA Today
Ranking: 1 (1)
Nate Davis: Their positioning at the top of the heap feels fairly unassailable – the NFC leaders tied for the league’s best record (12-1), consecutive playoff berths in hand for the first time in 29 years and with the NFL’s largest point differential (+183). And yet there are the mounting defensive injuries, the potential double-edged sword borne of HC Dan Campbell’s fearless decision making, to say nothing of the fact that Minnesota (11-2) just will not go away – regardless of how overshadowed the Vikings tend to be. Said more succinctly, the Lions are – currently – the best team, but they’re operating in an environment where a hard left turn seems increasingly possible.
NFL.com
Ranking: 1 (1)
Eric Edholm: That’s two close shaves at home in the past two weeks, but Thursday’s win over the Packers was a clear upgrade over the Lions’ Thanksgiving performance against the Bears. An even further decimated defense hung on for dear life, turning in an absolutely gutsy effort. The offense did what it does; controlling the clock and limiting Green Bay’s possessions was a big part of the game plan. This was complementary football in all three phases, right down to Jake Bates’ game-winning kick. Missing on the fourth down late in the third quarter hurt, as did Jared Goff’s interception before that. But converting on four other fourth downs — including the wild one late in a tie game, well within field-goal range — more than made up for those shortcomings and cemented the Lions’ current place as both the NFL’s best team and its most cutthroat.
Yahoo! Sports
Ranking: 1 (1)
Frank Schwab: The defensive injuries are getting concerning. We can talk and joke about Dan Campbell going for it on fourth-and-1 instead of taking the field goal last Thursday, but in doing so he indicated he didn’t trust his defense to hold Green Bay out of FG range with about only 40 seconds left.
The Athletic
Ranking: 1 (1)
Josh Kendall: Patrick suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2022 preseason. He suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the 2023 preseason. He was cut by the Broncos in the 2024 preseason. And now the Lions have another weapon. Patrick, who began the season on Detroit’s practice squad, caught two touchdowns against the Packers, his first since 2021. “The journey was long, but it was worth it,” he said Thursday. “I’ve won the most games I’ve won in my career. I’ve got like 30 reporters in front of me right now. I’m very blessed and thankful for this team.”
Pro Football Talk
Ranking: 1 (1)
Mike Florio: Too much risk it, eventually no biscuit.
Sporting News
Ranking: 1 (1)
Vinnie Iyer: The Lions knew they were in for a doozy vs. the Packers, and they kept answering with clutch plays with their running backs and Jared Goff. They will continue to get battle-tested well for the playoffs with AFC power Buffalo visiting next.
33rd Team
Ranking: 1 (1)
Marcus Mosher: Getting divisional wins can be hard, so don’t discount the victory over the Packers in Week 14 by the Detroit Lions.
They fought the entire game, and Dan Campbell’s aggressiveness paid off once again. Detroit is in full control of the No. 1 seed in the NFC.