If there's one NFL team I'm lower on than the general population right now, it's got to be the Detroit Lions.
I'm not here to bash the Detroit Lions, but to acknowledge the reality of their situation and what the consequences of that might end up being. The Lions have developed into one of the best and most talented teams in the league over the last handful of years. They have become a legitimate contender in the NFC and might be one of the top favorites in the conference to reach the Super Bowl.
But are they simultaneously in some danger of missing out on the playoffs this coming season?
I want to take a look at a handful of reasons why the Lions might be in for a regression year, and why they might be the top surprise team from last year's NFL playoff field that could miss out on the postseason altogether in 2025.
Lions could be surprise team missing from the playoffs in 2025
The first and foremost reason why the Lions could be a surprise team missing the playoffs this coming season is actually a two-for-one. The Lions lost both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson (Bears) and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn (Jets) to head coaching gigs.
While it's possible to replace those guys with capable candidates, I am not especially convinced that the decision to hire John Morton in Ben Johnson's place was the right call for Detroit. Even though Morton has experience in Detroit with this franchise in recent years, what Johnson brought to the table as a play-caller on that side of the ball cannot be overstated.
The Lions are really going to have to hope that Jared Goff can take that next step in his NFL career to be even more of a field general with full autonomy over the offense. It's not that Morton is incompetent, or anything, but Johnson was a rare asset in the play-calling department.
And there's a reason why Morton wasn't previously employed as an offensive coordinator.
Beyond the change in offensive scheme and play-caller, the Lions are also going to have some young guys stepping up on the interior offensive line. That could be a good thing, or there could be a more significant learning curve (and subsequent struggles) than expected.
Defensively, I don't think the Lions did enough to add talent on the defensive front, especially off the edge. The offseason isn't over yet, but Detroit's answer for the injury to Aidan Hutchinson last year was not exactly the type of response you would expect of a team that is in legitimate contention for a Super Bowl.
This team doesn't have the type of depth off the edge necessary to make a deep playoff run.
The Lions are relying on their guys staying healthy and a couple of additions stepping up in a big way on the defensive side of the ball this coming year, and I'm not sure that's the right strategy.
This team also has a number of teams in the NFC North nipping at their heels. The Vikings won 14 games last year while the Packers look like a viable contender in the NFC and the Bears could be one of the most improved teams in the league.
This is going to be a trying year for the Lions. They are facing as much adversity and pressure as ever in the Dan Campbell era and they might take two steps back in 2025 before taking two steps forward in the coming years.