NFL Week 13 power rankings: Detroit Lions land at 32 in all major rankings

The Detroit Lions lost to the Chicago Bears for the second time this season, this time on Thanksgiving Day, bringing their record to a dismal 0-10-1 on the season.

The Lions held the lead with eight and a half minutes remaining in the game but ended up allowing the Bears to run out the clock and kick a game-winning field goal—the fourth time that has happened to the Lions this season. The fashion in which they lost has left a bitter taste in fans and analysts alike, and after weeks of staying out of the 32 spot in at least one of the national rankings, they have finally succumbed to their failings and are now, from a national perspective, officially the worst team in the NFL.

MMQB: 32 (Previous: 29)

“As we said, the Vikings have been in close games every week, including the first one between these two teams. So … maybe this is the week?”— MMQB’s rotating writers ($ubscription required)

NFL.com: 32 (Previous: 32)

“The Lions find ways to lose. Six holding penalties by the offensive line. A coverage bust on one touchdown. The mind-numbing (and illegal) double timeout that helped doom them in the final minutes. Dan Campbell has his team fighting hard week after week, but it’s not just the players who need to learn how to close out a game. The miscommunications and mental errors reflect poorly on the coaching staff, and when you combine them with a roster bereft of elite talent, well, that’s how you get to 0-10-1. ‘These guys, they’re fighting their tails off,’ Campbell said after Thursday’s 16-14 loss to the Bears. ‘But until we get out of our own way, we won’t quite get over the hump.’” — Dan Hanzus

Yahoo Sports: 32 (Previous: 32)

“Dan Campbell doesn’t have a lot to work with but any 0-10-1 coach is going to get criticism, and him calling timeouts back-to-back against the Bears and being penalized for that doesn’t help. ‘I get the texts and I get the calls, ‘Hey man, hang in there,’ Campbell said, according to MLive. ‘And so it’s like the more that I get, the more I know there is chatter. I know there’s chatter out there. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be getting all of these calls out of the blue or these texts. I know that, and look, as far as being warranted, when you don’t win a game, I should be getting criticized. I don’t blame anybody for that.’” — Frank Schwab

USA Today: 32 (Previous: 32)

“You have to wonder if coach Dan Campbell, who’s now calling offensive plays, has taken on too much in his zeal to crack the win column. Detroit’s timeout management – or lack thereof – on Thanksgiving would suggest more delegation from Campbell is in order.” — Nate Davis

ESPN: 32 (Previous: 32)

“Week 6 confidence rating: 2.5
How it’s going now: 2.0

“I honestly don’t have much confidence at all in this team. Winning a single game is still a question mark. It has a lot to do with the offensive playcalling since coach Dan Campbell has taken over and just the overall talent on the roster. The Lions continue to play hard, even being 0-10-1, but I don’t trust them to close out a game. Even quarterback Jared Goff acknowledged after the Thanksgiving Day loss to Chicago that this team has to “learn how not to lose,” with self-inflicted mistakes and penalties in crucial moments.” — Eric Woodyard

CBS Sports: 32 (Previous: 32)

“They have known a lot of heartache this season, but that’s what happens to bad teams. The offense is limited.” — Pete Prisco

Sporting News: 32 (Previous: 32)

“The Lions have started to drag down opponents with them as their defense has overachieved of late, but unfortunately, their limited offense hasn’t been able to take advantage of it to produce a win and now D’Andre Swift is hurt.” — Vinnie Iyer

Washington Post: 32 (Previous: 32)

“Thanksgiving is over, and the nation no longer has to watch the Lions play football. That’s a positive thing in which the country can rejoice.” — Mark Maske ($ubscription required)