Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored 20 touchdowns last season including 16 on the ground. / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Over the past two seasons, the Detroit Lions have ascended from an afterthought to one of the league’s best, most dynamic teams. Yet each of those Januarys has been met with painful failure and a reminder more work is to be done.
Going into 2025, the Lions have the skill on both sides of the ball to challenge for their first Super Bowl title. However, to get there, Detroit will need to navigate the season with better health, new coaches and uncertainties along the offensive line.
For years, getting to the playoffs and having any morsel of success was enough to satisfy the starving fans in Detroit. Before Dan Campbell showed up, the Lions hadn’t hosted a playoff game since 1993 and hadn’t won any postseason contests since ’91.
However, the past two years have satisfied the thirst of reaching the playoffs. Now, Detroit has to get to the Super Bowl, something it hasn’t done in the franchise’s storied history.
The Lions made a surprise run to the NFC title game in 2023 and held a 24–7 lead over the San Francisco 49ers at halftime, only to fall apart over the final 30 minutes. Last year, Detroit set a blistering pace despite myriad injuries and finished as the NFC’s top seed with a 15–2 mark. However, the Lions were handled in the divisional round, 45–35, by the Commanders.
With mainly the same players back and a coach who has the roster’s ear, Detroit will be among the league’s elite teams. However, if the Lions fall short of reaching Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, 2025 will be a failure.
The Lions have enjoyed continuity for a while under Campbell, but things will change this season.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn took head coaching jobs this offseason with the Bears and Jets, respectively. Campbell elevated former linebacker coach Kelvin Sheppard to replace Glenn while bringing John Morton back into the fold after he spent the past two years with the Broncos as passing-game coordinator.
Some tendencies and stylistic points are going to change in Detroit. However, it’s a matter of how much. We’ll begin finding out at Allen Park in July.
**Sources are saying: Jared Goff, QB**
“I think Jared does very well in the play-action game. His offensive line and runners are tops in the league, so it makes it so hard to defend.” —_NFC assistant coach_
The Lions haven’t had to worry about their offensive line. That all changed this offseason with the surprise retirement of All-Pro center Frank Ragnow and the departure of Kevin Zeitler in free agency.
Now, Mahogany and Ratledge are slated to be starters, with only one NFL start between them. The former is a 2024 sixth-round pick, while Ratledge is a second-round rookie from the successful Georgia Bulldogs program. Detroit needs both to be ready now, as the Lions hope to contend once more.
Campbell and Jared Goff could easily move up with another successful campaign together. The Lions have been terrific over the past two seasons, but playoff failures have clouded their regular seasons. Goff threw for 4,629 yards and 37 touchdowns but tossed three interceptions in a playoff loss to Washington. For Detroit, the only thing that matters now is winning in the postseason.
Gibbs scored 20 touchdowns last season, which was a big reason for his RB1 finish. He is one of only nine running backs to score that many touchdowns in a single season since 2010. None of these runners scored more than 18 touchdowns the following year, and just two (Todd Gurley and Austin Ekeler) scored more than nine. Among the other seven, the smallest decline in points is 129.1 (LeSean McCoy). So, while Gibbs should remain one of the top fantasy running backs, I expect touchdown regression. —_Michael Fabiano_
There’s no denying the NFC North will be an extremely competitive division again, but I still believe it will go through Detroit. The Vikings and Bears need to figure things out with their young quarterbacks, and the Packers must find a way to take a step forward. The Lions, despite losing their top two coordinators, are still going to be an elite team in the NFC. Let’s remember, they were one of only two teams to rank inside the top seven of the NFL in both EPA per play and opponent EPA per play.
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