We've been coming back with these week after week and every time we keep wondering when the Lions will reach the top spot everywhere. Did it happen this time? Let's look:
ESPN: 2nd
Previous ranking: 2nd
"Most important game remaining: Week 17 at the 49ers
Lions All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell said he rewatched last year's NFC Championship Game loss to the 49ers at least 10 times in the offseason. After blowing a 17-point halftime lead, the Lions want revenge against San Francisco. That game still stings. Yes, the Week 15 game against the Bills is perhaps the toughest remaining matchup, but facing the 49ers again for a "Monday Night Football" showdown will be the perfect shot at redemption." - Eric Woodyard
The Athletic: 1st
Previous ranking: 1st
"OK, so Amon-Ra St. Brown’s sweatshirt wasn’t nice, but it’s hard to dislike these Lions, who have mixed an Us Against the World attitude with Dan Campbell’s Mensa Meathead schtick with a frightening offense to make magic. The Lions lead the league in scoring (32.25) and are fifth in scoring defense (18.5). In the last six games, Detroit has more touchdowns (28) than incompletions (24)." -Josh Kendall
Yahoo Sports: 1st
Previous ranking: 2nd
"Jared Goff has the highest completion percentage (82.8%) and passer rating (140.1) for any six-game stretch in NFL history. That he kept that hot streak going outdoors, in a rainstorm at Green Bay, is impressive. If the Lions get the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed, Goff will get MVP votes." -Frank Schwab
CBS Sports: 2nd
Previous ranking: 2nd
"This is the best team in the NFC as Jared Goff continues to play flawless football. Does the ball ever hit the ground when he's throwing it these days?" -Pete Prisco
Sports Illustrated: 1st
Previous ranking: 2nd
"This team has now survived almost everything. They have recovered from a Goff-ian dip in the middle of a game; they have recovered from season-altering injury; they have recovered from the crippling weight of hype and now they have recovered from their second-best defensive player getting tossed out of a game because the NFL likes to look like a good babysitter when the parents are watching. They have won in myriad ways. They know who they are from a deeply personal place and aren’t afraid to be those people. It’s quite fun to see it all happening." -Connor Orr
USA Today: 2nd
Previous ranking: 2nd
"There's no replacing injured DE Aidan Hutchinson. But the NFC's leaders did about as well as could be expected in seeking a temporary fill-in, executing a long-anticipated swap with Cleveland for Za'Darius Smith on Tuesday morning. Nice boost for a unit that's only managed 12½ sacks aside from Hutchinson's production. Yet maybe it won't even matter much given how well this multi-faceted offense is clicking. QB Jared Goff and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown haven't had a missed connection since Week 3, hooking up on 30 consecutive targets – tied for the longest streak for any wideout since 2016." -Nate Davis
Bleacher Report: 2nd
Previous ranking: 2nd
"The Detroit Lions are rolling. That's largely because quarterback Jared Goff is playing like a legitimate MVP contender." -NFL Staff
The Sporting News: 2nd
Previous ranking: 2nd
"The Lions made an NFC North statement and then some by going into Lambeau Field and coming up with an all-around pounding of the Packers. They remain the team to beat in the conference." -Vinnie Iyer
