The wait is finally over after weeks of training camp, joint practices, and preseason games. Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off for the Detroit Lions in Lambeau Field, taking on the Green Bay Packers. The back-to-back NFC North champions were asked a tough task to start the season out, facing their biggest rival on the road with their new pass rusher, Micah Parsons.
From the opening drive, the Packers were in control the whole time. The Packers offense moved easily down the field for most of the game,
despite being limited in the run. The Lions didn’t have an answer for Green Bay’s passing game, despite upgrades in the secondary. The pass rush couldn’t assist them, and the offense was a shell of its former self, struggling at everything.
There is plenty to discuss after the Lions’ loss on Sunday afternoon. Here are my takeaways from the 27-13 defeat to the Packers.
Lions pass rush lacking
According to PFF, the Packers were the third-best pass-blocking team in the NFL last season. They held their own against the Lions on Sunday ,as the Lions struggled to get pressure on Packers quarterback Jordan Love. PFF also credited the Lions with nine pressures. EDGE Aidan Hutchinson was quiet in his return from his injury last season, finishing with just three pressures. For your star player to be contained to just three pressures for four quarters, not ideal.
With all the injuries the Lions had last season, fans and the media expected Detroit to get some help for the pass rush, and the Lions didn’t make any big moves. They re-signed EDGE Marcus Davenport and released Za’Darius Smith, who has signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Packers have a respectable offensive line, if the defensive line can’t generate pressure on the quarterback, the secondary will be asked to do a lot this season.
Special teams struggles
Throughout the preseason, it appeared the weakest link on the team was the special teams unit. They produced multiple penalties and struggled on return defense. Those struggles continued into the regular season and might be a legit concern for the Lions. Kicker Jake Bates made both of his field goals, but kicked a ball into the end zone for a touchback, which will be harsher this season with the new kicking rules.
The return game on both sides was rough, too. While the Lions only allowed five returns for 71 yards, two of the returns by Green Bay were reduced due to penalties. The Lions struggled themselves on returns, getting seven for 135 yards, with the longest return being only 25 yards. Detroit might want to adjust to calling for fair catches if there isn’t room.
Offensive line won’t be like last year
We all knew the Lions would have a shake-up on their offensive line when right guard Kevin Zeitler signed with the Tennessee Titans in free agency. The bigger change was when center Frank Ragnow suddenly retired in June, forcing the Lions to play musical chairs with guard Graham Glasgow, moving him over to center. It also meant a rookie would have to start at either guard spot, with second-round pick Tate Ratledge running unopposed as fellow rookie Miles Frazier missed all of camp and preseason with an injury.
Last season, running back Jahmyr Gibbs averaged 5.6 yards per carry, and David Montgomery had 4.2. Against the Packers, Gibbs finished with nine carries for 19 yards and 2.1 yards per carry, while Montgomery had 11 carries for 25 yards, averaging 2.3 yards per carry.
The Lions offense needs the run game to be strong for it to succeed, and when it struggles, the passing game gets hurt too. Quarterback Jared Goff had an average game, going 31-for-39 for 225 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, but a lot of the yards came from checkdowns as the Packers’ defensive line generated pressure on the Lions’ young offensive line.
Terrion Arnold off to a rough start
Entering his second year in the NFL, cornerback Terrion Arnold was looking for improvement from his rookie season. The first half of last year was difficult for the young cornerback, but he improved as the season progressed. Arnold was targeted in the second quarter in back-to-back plays, first allowing a 48-yard catch by wide receiver Romeo Doubs and then a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jayden Reed.
The common NFL analyst says cornerbacks improve from year one to year two, but so far, Arnold seems to be making the same mistakes as last season. Thankfully, no pass interference penalties, but Arnold was targeted heavily in this game and left the game with a groin injury in the third quarter and didn’t return. If Arnold has the same struggles as last season, opponents might target him every week.
Offense can’t settle for field goals
This isn’t a knock on the fourth-down decisions made by Lions head coach Dan Campbell; he did everything right there. This is on the offense struggling to finish drives in the end zone. Goff threw an interception in the red zone, which was a great play by the Packers’ defensive back, but if that was even incomplete, it would’ve been another field goal attempt for the Lions.
You can’t win games by just relying on getting in field goal range. This was the top offense in the NFL last season, averaging 33 points. This team is used to putting up points, and seeing them start out slow was tough to see. Could it be the change in coordinators? Maybe, but it’s only Week 1. It’s hard not to overreact, but it was the biggest thing I noticed, and only getting 13 points is not what anybody expected.
Run defense still Lions a strength
The Lions love to control the trenches, both offensively and defensively. While the Lions’ run offense was stagnant on Sunday, the run defense was its best unit of the day. Packers running back Josh Jacobs had 19 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown, forcing the Packers to beat the Lions through the air, which they unfortunately did.
If the Lions’ pass rush and secondary can improve, the good run defense can really be hard for an offense to overcome. Today, though, the Packers didn’t need to rely on their running game too much.
