Detroit Lions Paying the Price for Complacency

What a difference a year makes. Last year around this time, the Detroit Lions were rolling through the NFL. The team was in the middle of an 11 game winning streak, on their way to a franchise best 15-2 season. They won their second straight NFC North division title and earned the top seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs for the first time in team history. The excitement surrounding the Lions had never been higher. Every network wanted them on their station because everyone wanted to watch them. Whether at home or on the road, Lions fans made their presence known. There were a lot of them, and they were loud.

Unfortunately, it all came to a crashing halt as the Lions lost their first playoff game. A stunning 45-31 defeat to the Washington Commanders that served as a shocking reminder that, in the NFL, nothing is guaranteed. One bad game and poof! An entire season that felt magical was over.

Expectations for this year’s Lions squad had never been higher. The Lions still boast one of the NFL’s best rosters. They would be desperate to rid themselves of the embarrassment of last year’s playoff demise. Dan Campbell and company would set out to prove that loss was a fluke and that the Detroit Lions would finally break through to reach their first ever Super Bowl.

The 2025 Detroit Lions have not come close to meeting those lofty expectations. Some of that was to be expected. After all, the team lost both offensive and defensive coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn when they were hired as Head Coach for the Bears and Jets. Some assistant coaches followed them to their new teams. Others left for promotions within other organizations. Such is the price of success. There was going to be an adjustment period. Many of the people who were responsible for building this team from the ground up were no longer there.

The Lions were never going to go 15-2 again. To think any team could do that 2 years in a row would be unreasonable. Especially not with this schedule. First place teams play first place schedules. Playing the tough NFC East and AFC North divisions this year added to the difficulty.

What wasn’t expected, however, was that the Detroit Lions would lose their mojo. Coaching departures aside, this team still had a loaded roster full of young, superstar talent. Things just haven’t clicked this year the way they had in the past. The trick plays we’ve grown accustomed to under Ben Johnson aren’t hitting like they used to. The Lions are still being very aggressive going for it on 4th down but are converting far less often. New offensive coordinator John Morton has already had his play calling duties taken over by Dan Campbell. That seemed to invigorate the offense for 1 game, the revenge game against Washington, but has fallen flat in the 3 games since. Instead of demolishing lesser opponents, the Lions have had to grind out wins against bad teams and have been overmatched by the good ones.

So, what happened? The Lions started off the season with a dud at Green Bay. They came back to win 4 in a row but they just seemed off. They have now alternated losses and wins over their last 7 games and currently sit at 7-5, good for 3rd place in their division. The season isn’t over, but it does feel like it’s slipping away.

The Lions, to me, have the look of a team that has gotten complacent. They have been one of the NFL’s best teams over the last 3 years. They had every reason to feel good about themselves. Except they have stayed the course while their rivals have gotten better, either through trades, free agency or the draft. Other teams have been aggressive while the Lions have been conservative and it is costing them.

The Lions came into this season with obvious weaknesses and haven’t done much to address them. Aidan Hutchinson was expected to take another step forward this year and show that he belongs in the same tier with edge rushers like Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons. All he needed was a capable running mate on the other side to help take pressure and attention away from him. The Lions failed to give him one. Offenses can now find ways to neutralize Hutchinson because they don’t have to worry about anyone else coming off of the edge. This has been a problem for a couple years and the Lions just have not done enough to fix it.

Another glaring weakness was surprisingly the offensive line. For years, the o-line was the biggest strength of the team. It was their identity and usually the first group mentioned whenever the team’s success was being talked about. Right guard Kevin Zeitler was a shrewd signing by GM Brad Holmes last year. He started 16 games and was still playing at a very high level when the team let him walk in free agency. Zeitler would end up signing a one year-$9 million contract with the Tennessee Titans. That is a perfectly reasonable deal for a guy with his level of play. Letting him walk was a mistake. Further compounding things was the sudden retirement of All-Pro Center Frank Ragnow. The Lions had to move Graham Glasgow from left guard to center. Christian Mahogany, who was supposed to replace Zeitler at right guard, had to switch over to the left side. Rookie Tate Ratledge was tasked with starting at right guard from day one. All 3 interior line positions had new faces. That’s a lot of turnover for an offensive line that relies on cohesiveness to be successful. Injuries throughout the season have tested the Lions’ depth, and they have had to adjust on the fly. It is showing. The Lions’ once great offensive line is being exploited nearly every game. Thankfully, Ragnow just ended his retirement and should be playing within the next couple of weeks. It may be too little, too late.

The Lions had opportunities to address their weaknesses via trades but they chose not to. Star edge rushers Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson were available. The cost would have been high, but it would have been worth it. Hendrickson remained with the Cincinnati Bengals, but shockingly, Parsons was traded to the Green Bay Packers. Watching a divisional rival acquire one of the best players in the league was a gut punch to Lions’ fans. Brad Holmes’s sentiment was that the cost of a trade was too high, especially for a team that had recently handed out several big money contracts to its own star players. Parsons cost the Packers two first round picks plus Kenny Clark while Hendrickson probably would have cost a first round pick if traded before the season (possibly only a 2nd or 3rd if traded at the deadline). That’s a lot to give up. The Lions felt like it was too much.

I know making a big trade is risky, but players the caliber of Parsons and Hendrickson are rarely ever available. For a team that has never been to a Super Bowl, the risk was worth it. Parsons has been a game wrecker for the Packers. He has helped Green Bay beat the Lions twice this season. He is a big reason why the Lions are looking up at the Packers in the standings. Hendrickson has been wasted on another disappointing Bengals team. He could have made a significant difference for the Lions. Sometimes you just have to go for it.

Look at the Los Angeles Rams. They gave up a lot to get Matthew Stafford from the Lions then immediately won the Super Bowl. They signed Davante Adams before this season and are sitting atop the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles have been a Super Bowl contender for years. Instead of being satisfied with what they had, they added Saquon Barkley before the 2024 season. The result? Super Bowl Champions. They continued to add to their team this year, making trades for Jaelan Phillips, Michael Carter II, and Jaire Alexander at the deadline. Seattle acquired speedy WR Rashid Shaheed. Even the Dallas Cowboys were active, trading for star DT Quinnen Williams and LB Logan Wilson. The Cowboys have since gone on a run and find themselves in playoff contention, which didn’t seem likely a month ago. The Lions, meanwhile, did nothing. It’s no coincidence they now are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs.

Lions fans deserved better. They create a dynamic environment at home games and can take over opposing teams’ stadiums. The Lions are going to be good for the foreseeable future. Now is the time to go for it. Finally getting to hold up The Lombardi Trophy is the ultimate reward. Definitely worth a little risk.