8. Detroit Lions
Oof. The Detroit Lions blew it at home on Thanksgiving against the Green Bay Packers, and that loss had bigger implications than anyone in Detroit could have possibly imagined. The Lions may have gotten screwed a little bit by a timeout that was granted to Matt LaFleur just before the end of the first half, but even so, they didn’t make nearly enough plays – especially defensively – to get a win.
After dropping this game to the Packers and watching the Chicago Bears go on the road for their 9th win this year against the Eagles, the Lions have to buckle down and fight back. They have to show some serious resolve, and the next stretch of three games is rough.
The Lions have to play the Cowboys, Rams, and Steelers over the next three weeks, and it’ll take everything they’ve got to get back into the thick of the NFC North and even the NFC Wild Card race.
7. San Francisco 49ers
You can’t take any wins for granted in the NFL, and the San Francisco 49ers accomplished exactly what they set out to do against Cleveland on Sunday. With Shedeur Sanders making just his second NFL start, you knew Robert Saleh was going to throw a lot of different coverage looks at him, and he did exactly that.
At times, the 49ers defense had Sanders looking like he was trying to figure out neuroscience when he dropped back to pass, getting to him for three sacks and coasting to a win.
Brock Purdy was much better for the 49ers in this game after a rough outing against the Panthers on Monday Night Football, and the 49ers just continue to look like one of the most underrated all-around teams in the NFL. They now have a (seemingly) very quiet nine wins.