If you were a fan of draft position, this was not the outcome for you. If you were a fan of beating the Chicago Bears, grab yourself a seat and celebrate.
Despite a disappointing season for the Detroit Lions, they still walked away from their 2025 campaign with a sweep of the Ben Johnson-led Chicago Bears. The two teams had changed a lot since their Week 2 tilt, a game in which Detroit throttled Chicago 52-21. Since then, the two teams had gone in opposite directions in the NFC North, with Chicago rising
to the division crown while Detroit fell out of contention. Despite the lack of stakes for Detroit, they still put together arguably their best outing in the past four weeks. Things got close, but Detroit still managed to walk away with a 19-16 victory.
Detroit has a lot of questions to answer next offseason, but at least the question of who owns the Bears is well understood.
Loser: Dan Campbell, HC
Campbell nearly cost Detroit this game. The Lions were in the driver seat for most of the game, but late-game situational play calling almost sunk them yet again.
On a key third-and-short in the fourth quarter, the Lions got cute and tried to run a David Montgomery to Jared Goff pass. The play was read perfectly by the Bears defense, and Montgomery was stuffed for a loss. The Bears took the ensuing drive for eight points to tie the game. During Detroit’s next possession, they were rolling on ground and looked primed to close out the game, but they went away from what was working:
This has been an issue for Campbell since taking over play calling duties from John Morton. On average, I think the offense is decent when it comes to play calling. However, when the minutes wind down and every decision becomes pivotal, Campbell has seemingly made the wrong one time after time. There is no other way to put it: the Lions need a home run with their next offensive coordinator hire.
And please, dial up more Texas routes for Jahmyr Gibbs.
Winner: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
Saint wants an All-Pro nod.
The fact that it was a mean-nothing game meant nothing to St. Brown, who played like the playoffs were on the line. He and Jared Goff were synced up early and often, with St. Brown totaling 110 yards on nine receptions in the first half alone. There was a sharp decline in the second half (only added two catches), but he delivered on a game-sealing 26-yard catch in the final minute of the game. He finished the day with 11 catches for 139 yards.
Though 2025 was a regression for St. Brown in terms of drops, he firmly delivered as the go-to option in the offense. This was especially important given the injury to Sam LaPorta and the inefficiency from the run game. His reliability, coupled with the growth from Jameson Williams, bodes well for the future of the passing attack.
Loser: Malcolm Rodriguez, LB
This game was essentially an audition for Rodriguez, a pending free agent with an uncertain outlook. The Lions are likely to lose at least one of Rodriguez and Alex Anzalone in free agency, so with Anzalone out for this Week 18 tilt, it was a chance for Rodriguez to stake a claim at a starting role in 2026. Unfortunately, it was a game to forget. Colston Loveland had a breakout game, and Rodriguez was a key reason why. Of Loveland’s 91 receiving yards, 41 of them came at the expense of Rodriguez. The linebacker looked outgunned against the Bears tight ends and running backs, giving up eight catches for 80 yards, according to initial numbers from PFF.
While this does not outright eliminate a return to Detroit for Rodriguez, I do believe it all but ends any chance of him unconditionally starting next season. I would like to have him back in Detroit for special teams and depth (despite the bad game on Sunday, he is still an above-average backup), but perhaps only as a spot starter.
Winner: Aidan Hutchinson, DE
What a year for Hutchinson. He failed to match his 2024 pre-injury pace, but that speaks more to how outrageous that six-game span was than his performance this year. Hutchinson was the only consistent pass rusher on the team, and he really showed up over the final month of the season—over the last four games, Hutchinson recorded six sacks. The final sack of his 2025 campaign came on a rep in which he completely outmaneuvered Darnell Wright.
If Detroit addresses the pass rush opposite Hutchinson in the offseason, it could be a special unit. Until that happens, we can at least know Hutchinson will be bringing the pressure.
Winner: Tyleik Williams and Mehki Wingo, DTs
It has not been a breakout rookie campaign for the first-round pick, but there has been promise at times. Williams saw an increased opportunity with Alim McNeill out, and he gave us a lot to look forward to in 2026. Though he was outsnapped by Roy Lopez and DJ Reader, Williams looked stout in run defense when called upon. As a pass rusher, his chops have improved over the course of the season and it should be an important part of the defensive line next season. His ability to bat down passes is another asset—he added his fourth of the season this week.
Wingo, meanwhile, was active for the first time since Week 2 (also against the Bears), and his performance makes you wonder why it took so long. His burst is unrivaled among Lions defensive tackles, evident on every pass rushing snap. The Lions have badly needed interior pass rush this season following injuries to McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike, and Wingo provided just that, albeit in limited snaps. His discipline still needs work—he overran a a few plays—and his run defense is still a weakness, but his ability to generate pressure is impressive. I do not understand why he was inactive for so many weeks. He deserves a role in 2026.
Loser: Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE
Whereas Wingo shined in his pass rushing-focused role, the Lions’ usual pass rushing specialist fell by the wayside. Muhammad was invisible on the day: zero tackles, zero quarterback hits, and maybe one or two pressures at most. Muhammad officially ends the 2025 season with a career-high 11 sacks, but 7.5 of those came across just three games—it was boom or bust for Muhammad, and this week was a bust.
For a player entering an important free agency, it was a disappointing finale. On the plus side, perhaps Muhammad becomes a cheaper re-signing?
Winner: Kalif Raymond, WR
The NFL’s X account might mistake him for St. Brown, but it’s hard to deny that Raymond can be a spark plug when asked. He only played a handful of snaps (due to a focus on the run game and an increased role for Isaac TeSlaa), but he made the most of them. He turned just three receptions into a whopping 52 yards, demonstrating his still top-tier elusiveness and quickness.
Raymond and the Lions are entering a crossroad this offseason, with the veteran set for free agency and the Lions potentially rostering a replacement in Dominic Lovett. Regardless of whether Raymond is in Detroit next season or not, we should be thankful for everything he has done in a Lions uniform. In 2021, he went from a special teamer to a capable and reliable weapon in the offense. Though he would eventually take a backseat to the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, the Lions would not be where they are without him. Whatever happens, thank you Kalif.
