Entering Week 18, the final week of the regular season, the Detroit Lions are still regarded by experts as one of the NFL’s best teams. However, their position in power rankings has fluctuated.

Despite picking up a 40-34 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football, two media outlets dropped the Lions a few spots in this week’s power rankings.

The slide stems from concerns about their depleted defense, which allowed the 49ers to gain 475 total yards. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy accounted for 377 of those yards through the air.

Conversely, two other outlets ranked the Lions as one of the top two teams in the league, highlighting their potent offense. Jared Goff leads the charge alongside weapons like Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta. Guided by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, the Lions are viewed as capable of going toe-to-toe with any opponent in a shootout.

The Lions totaled 439 yards of offense in their 10th prime-time victory under head coach Dan Campbell.

As the regular season finale at Ford Field approaches, here’s a look at where NFL writers across the country have ranked the Lions in this week’s power rankings:

NFL.com

Last week: 3

This week: no change

“Dan Campbell said the Lions would play it out Monday, and the beat-up, out-of-the-playoffs 49ers steamrolled through them for four TDs in five drives (with a missed field-goal try in between) to start the game. That’s a problem. This is who the Lions are defensively heading into Sunday night’s cage match against the Vikings. The stakes couldn’t be clearer, with the division and the top seed in the NFC boiling down to that contest, and Minnesota is dangerous.

“The concern isn’t with Ben Johnson matching wits with Brian Flores; it’s with Aaron Glenn’s chewed-up defense finding solutions against Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson and a Vikings offense that has maintained its edge while cutting back on turnovers. Detroit could certainly start by cutting back on pointless penalties. The two picks by Kerby Joseph that helped turn Monday’s game into a win served as a reminder that turnovers fueled this defense earlier this season. Those are the kinds of plays the Lions need against Minnesota, even if they rack up another quarter-mile of offense.”

The Athletic

Last week: 2

This week: 4

“The Lions are wounded and the Vikings are hot, but Detroit has a chance to reset the narrative heading into the playoffs and secure the top seed in the NFC when it hosts Minnesota on Sunday night. If the Lions win, they won’t have to leave Ford Field until a possible Super Bowl trip. Their offense looked capable of it against the 49ers on Monday night, but the defense is going to have to hang on tight.”

ESPN

Last week: 2

This week: no change

“Since being traded from the Buccaneers, Davis has always been open to a contract extension in Detroit. He is in the final year of his contract and has been productive with 42 solo tackles, 11 passes defended, 2 interceptions and a forced fumble. Like many other Lions players, he was placed on the injured reserve list, with a jaw injury, in Week 15. However, Detroit will have to decide on his long-term future with the organization after already agreeing to massive extensions for Jared Goff, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown and others. This won’t be an easy decision.”

USA Today

Last week: 3

This week: 2

“Despite all the injuries, they’re on the verge of the first No. 1 playoff seed in team history. And regardless of the defensive health, this group is capable of beating anyone in a shootout – and most definitely so at Ford Field (though it’s also incumbent to note that the Lions are the first team to go undefeated on the road in four years). Could this be the year they finally break through for their first Lombardi Trophy?”

Yahoo Sports

Last week: 3

This week: 4

“The Lions might be able to outscore every team on the way to the franchise’s first Super Bowl. But after a 40-34 win over the 49ers, it’s clear that they’ll have to put up a boatload of points and hope the defense makes a few big plays, like it did with two interceptions on Monday night.”

NBC Sports (Pro Football Talk)

Last week: 4

This week: no change

“If they’re going to be the top seed in the NFC, they’re going to have to earn it.”

The Sporting News

Last week: 3

This week: no change

“The Lions’ shorthanded defense overachieved in Chicago but didn’t quite do so in Francisco. They did, however, get Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs and the offense to be fully ready for a high-scoring finale with the Vikings next with the division title and the NFC’s top seed on the line.”

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