Welcome to the roller coaster that is the 2025 Detroit Lions. Buckle up, and maybe bring along a vomit bag.
Everything went right for the Detroit Lions last week against the Washington Commanders. The offense was humming thanks to an elite ground game and a near-perfect passing attack. Things were looking up for the Lions after a tough stretch that warranted soul-searching.
Any offensive momentum from last week was dashed after a disappointing 16-9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. Despite
a hallmark showing from the defense, an inept offensive outing doomed the Lions. With a 6-4 record and a tumble in the NFC standings, the Lions need to clean things up quickly. The goal post is no longer to win a Super Bowl—they just need to get to the playoffs in the first place in the NFC North.
Loser: Dan Campbell, HC
John Morton is owed an apology.
A week after a dominant offensive outing against the Commanders, the Lions were riding high. The change of play caller from Morton to Dan Campbell clearly sparked something, and the offense looked rekindled. That optimism barely lasted one drive, as it was downhill for the Lions from the get-go. The Lions’ offense was so ineffective, you can almost count the number of successful plays on one hand: a few screen plays to Jahmyr Gibbs, a crossing route touchdown to Jameson Williams, and a 34-yard reception by Amon-Ra St. Brown on the prior play. On nearly every other play, the Lions were mediocre at best and horrendous at worst.
The biggest knock on Campbell’s play calling is the fourth down conversions—or utter lack thereof. The Lions turned the ball over on downs a whopping five times against the Eagles. None of the plays were particularly competitive either. They were stuffed on a fourth-and-1, ran a failed fake punt, and had incompletions on back-to-back-to-back drives. When you factor in their third-down inefficiency (just three conversions on 13 attempts), it was an utterly awful performance from the Lions in the clutch—you cannot blame this solely on the absence of Sam LaPorta.
Campbell looked completely out of his element on Sunday night, and the toothless aggression cost them this game. In hindsight, the Washington game looks like a complete fluke against an awful opponent. This offense still has significant issues at its core—and outside of simply playing better, I’m not sure there is an obvious solution.
Winner: Kelvin Sheppard, DC
The only reason the Lions were even competitive in this game was courtesy of the defense.
First, the statistical showstopper: the Lions stopped five of six tush pushes—FIVE OF SIX! The lone conversion came on the goal line, perhaps the most difficult play to stop in football. The big guys up front—Alim McNeill, Roy Lopez, DJ Reader, and Tyleik Williams—deserve a significant hat tip for a stout interior, limiting Saquon Barkley to just 83 yards on 26 carries.
The secondary, missing its top two cornerbacks and an All-Pro safety, was genuinely impressive. The Eagles mustered just 135 passing yards on the night. Rock Ya-Sin and Amik Robertson grew the legacy of the Legion of Whom with this performance. Ya-Sin locked down A.J. Brown, who turned seven catches into just 49 yards, most on the team. The final pass interference on Ya-Sin was utter garbage, costing the Lions a chance to win, and costing the NFL a chance at an exciting finale—add it to the list of times the Lions have been victimized by questionable officiating. Robertson, meanwhile, is arguably the most important defensive back on the roster thanks to his reliability and inside/outside skill set. The splash plays might not be there (just one interception and one forced fumble on the year), but he has been a steady presence for a secondary that has been anything but.
For as bad as the Lions’ offense has been, the Lions’ defense has been stellar. This unit has gotten better and better each week despite losing starters at a similar rate. Sheppard looks like a star coordinator.
Winner: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB
Gibbs was by far the most impactful Lion on offense, but his stat line highlights why the team struggled against Philadelphia. The star running back had five catches for a career-best 107 receiving yards. He was electric on screen plays, using his blockers and sheer speed to churn out chunk play after chunk play. The only way for Detroit to consistently move the ball downfield was to give the ball to Gibbs in space.
Space is the keyword there, as Gibbs had very little to work with on the ground. He tallied just 39 yards on 12 carries (a subpar 3.3-yard average), including the aforementioned turnover on downs. Gibbs was finding no success up the middle thanks to a struggling interior offensive line, and his longest run of the day (11 yards) came on an outside carry. A successful run game carried the Lions’ offense last week. A pitiful run game helped sink them this week.
Gibbs has cemented himself as one of the most impactful players in the NFL, but he cannot do it all by himself.
Loser: Jared Goff, QB
Say what you will about the weather conditions, but they were no excuse for Goff’s horrendous night. Goff put up a stat line as if the game was played in a blizzard (though it did start snowing in the dying minutes). Donning his gloves amid the cold temperatures, Goff had the most inaccurate outing of his career, completing just 14-of-37 passes on the night. The Eagles were bringing effective pressure throughout the night, and Goff was clearly rattled. His usual go-to, Amon-Ra St. Brown, had a meager 42 yards on two receptions. Most of Goff’s positive plays were due to his receiver making a play: Williams used his speed to turn a crosser into a house call, while a bulk of Goff’s yardage came on screen passes to Gibbs.
The only silver lining to Goff’s night is that the interception was not his fault due to an unfortunate tip. Aside from that, it was a downright awful performance from the Lions quarterback in one of their biggest games of the year.
Winner: Jack Campbell, LB
I might have to stop listing Campbell as a winner, since performances like these are becoming the norm for the star linebacker. Campbell once again led the team in tackles, adding 15 to his team-leading tally. He continues to be a stud in run defense, complementing a dominant performance from the defensive line. As a rookie back in 2023, he was on occasion struggling to read and react to the blocking ahead of him. Despite his athleticism, he would get washed out by a tight end or lineman, resulting in a big play for the offense. Those types of plays are few and far between for Campbell in 2025. He is either making the right split-second decision or is outright winning with his closing speed.
Campbell should be talked about as an All-Pro linebacker. We need to get the campaign rolling on a national scale.
Loser: Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE
When Muhammad is hot, he is a perfect complement to Aidan Hutchinson. When he is cold, he becomes a liability on a defensive front that can ill afford it. Unfortunately for the Lions, Sunday night was a forgettable one. Muhammad finished with a pair of tackles but was otherwise unimpactful as a defensive end. The Eagles’ offensive line, despite losing Lane Johnson mid-game, only gave up a single sack on the night, a play in which Hutchinson and Lopez combined for the tackle. Muhammad’s pass rushing presence, meanwhile, was absent.
Coupled with his deficiencies in the run game, it has been feast or famine for Muhammad. He needs a positive game script to facilitate his role as a pass rusher. When faced with a deficit on the scoreboard and a team with an effective run game, it diminishes Muhammad’s impact. With Marcus Davenport’s return imminent, it could mean a demotion to a pass rush specialist role—though that might be a good change for him.
Loser: Graham Glasgow, C
The offensive line as a whole was bad, contributing to Goff’s rough outing, but Glasgow in particular was getting mauled all night long. He was getting mauled by the interior trio of Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo, providing no push in the run game and no protection in the passing game. He even got burned by linebacker Nakobe Dean coming on a blitz. You cannot blame miscommunications either, as Glasgow was getting beaten outright by these defenders.
Glasgow has been arguably the weakest link on the offensive line, and it showed on Sunday night. With Christian Mahogany out long-term and Tate Ratledge still experiencing the rookie learning curve, the Lions’ inaction at the trade deadline could come back to haunt them. A dominant run game needs an effective center, and Glasgow has not been that. Internally, the only alternatives are Trystan Colon, Michael Niese, and Kingsley Eguakun—I have my doubts about whether one of them can save the season.
Loser: Brad Holmes, GM
Wheeling and dealing at the trade deadline has not been Brad Holmes’ mantra since taking over as general manager, but a game like this opens up criticism for his inaction.
The blueprint for beating the Lions has been well-defined at this point: dominate the interior. The Lions’ interior linemen were simply outmatched against the Eagles, and it led to the run game stalling and Jared Goff struggling as a passer. Despite the injury to Mahogany, the struggles of Glasgow, and the inexperience of Ratledge, the Lions made no notable moves during the week of the trade deadline, and that could come back to haunt the Lions down the stretch. The only solutions to their offensive line woes have to come from within the depth chart, and things have looked grim in that regard. Do we trust the likes of Kayode Awosika and Graham Glasgow to pave the way come the playoffs—if we even reach that point? The Lions had a glaring weakness, and they did not address it.
Sure, making a trade costs assets, plus you need another team to even consider the trade in the first place. However, you need only look at the Eagles to defend why splash trades can make a difference. The Eagles had a pass rushing weakness at the deadline, and as a result, they dealt a third-round pick for Jaelan Phillips. Phillips may be on an expiring contract, but that mattered little on Sunday night when he was dominating the Lions’ offensive line.
Holmes’ belief in the roster he built has been one of his strengths as a general manager, but his inaction towards a glaring weakness has not always been successful. Right now, the Lions need offensive line help, and they have no external avenues to explore.
Loser: Non-punt special teams
The Lions have an elite punting unit thanks mostly to Jack Fox, but nearly every other facet of special teams has struggled in 2025. The Lions ran a failed fake punt, a direct snap to Grant Stuard that was stuffed for no gain. Fakes are difficult to judge, given that they are rarely seen and the blame more often comes down to the timing, not the execution. However, a run up the middle by a linebacker that notoriously lacked vision as a kickoff returner was an odd choice.
Elsewhere, Jake Bates missed an extra point, albeit an extended one due to a Jameson Williams penalty on the prior touchdown. He did add a 54-yard field goal to bring the game within one score, but Bates has taken a step back this season. As for punt returns, Kalif Raymond had three returns for a combined one yard. He was far too often running laterally instead of vertically, perhaps trusting his speed over his blocking.
My biggest gripe with the Lions’ special teams unit right now is the kickoff. It continues to be a nothing play at best for them, and it feels like an untapped opportunity. Their longest return of the year is 39 yards, which came against the Minnesota Vikings two weeks ago. They are rarely springing anything beyond a typical touchback. In contrast, the Chicago Bears won their Week 11 game thanks to a late kickoff return by Devin Duvernay. For a play with such potential for creativity, the Lions have none of it.
