The Detroit Lions served notice during the 2024 regular season that they were on their way to their best season in more than 65 years. Head coach Dan Campbell’s team steamrolled their way to a 15-2 record that earned them the No. 1 seed in the NFC, a bye in the Wild Card round of the playoffs and the NFC North crown.
It was widely expected that the Lions would beat the No. 6-seeded Washington Commanders in the divisional playoffs. While the Lions had some defensive injuries, they were the highest scoring team in the league and they had home field advantage. They were 7.5-point favorites and they had a raucous crowd backing them.
However, once the game kicked off, the Commanders were prepared to roll up their sleeves and engage the home team in a fight. Washington was more than up to the assignment as quarterback Jayden Daniels took advantage of Detroit’s depleted defense and led his team to a 45-31 upset.
The rookie quarterback was remarkable, completing 22 of 31 passes for 299 yard with a pair of touchdown passes to wide out Terry McLaurin and tight end Zach Ertz. The Lions’ season came to a stunning end with a thudding defeat.
The pain in Detroit was palpable as this long-suffering team must once again wait until next year to try for its first championship since 1957.
Lions biggest problem was defensive injuries, but key flaw may be aging offensive line
The Lions went into the postseason with nearly 50 percent of the players on their preseason depth chart out due to injuries. The most notable loss was superstar pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson. Additionally, key players Alim McNeill, Marcus Davenport and Carlton Davis were also on injured reserve.
During the game against the Commanders, they lost cornerback Amik Robertson on the second play. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu was also injured in the second half.
The Lions went into the season with a hard-hitting and nasty defense, but that unit clearly got torn apart as the season progressed. Avoiding injuries would have given them a much better chance to survive and advance in the playoffs.
Going forward, they may not have the same injury problem in 2025. However, they have an aging offensive line that may need reinforcing.
Center Frank Ragnow is one of the best centers in the league, but he has a toe injury that has hampered his performance for the last two seasons. Left tackle Taylor Decker has absorbed quite a bit of punishment in his nine years in the league and has now passed the age of 30.
Guard Graham Glasgow also has nine years of NFL experience, and he is 32. Fellow guard Kevin Zeitler was signed to a one-year contract last year, and the Lions have to decide if they want to keep the 34-year-old after he had an excellent season.
As a result, the Lions have to think about getting younger at tackle, guard and center for the upcoming season.
Lions must protect talented stars
This is not a decision to be taken lightly. The Lions are loaded at the skilled positions with Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown, and they need to give these stars along with supporting players David Montgomery, Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta every chance to continue their star turn.
They need youth on the offensive line or at least some key backups that can play if the older offensive linemen run into trouble.
While Gibbs and St. Brown are unabashed stars, Goff may be a player who has benefitted greatly from the scheme devised by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. But what happens if Johnson leaves to take a head coaching position? Will the offense remain as effective as it was in 2024?
Goffe is accurate and proved that he was a clutch performer in the regular season, but he threw three costly interceptions against the Commanders. During the regular season, he avoided those errors. but he failed in the biggest game. Question marks may surface about Goff.
The Lions will certainly defend Goff publicly, but the questions in the team’s Allen Park headquarters may linger for quite a while.
