The Detroit Lions, similar to various NFL teams, will have a refreshed coaching staff and will encounter a significantly more challenging schedule in 2025.
Following a 15-2 season, it’s hard to anticipate that Dan Campbell’s team will achieve the same win total in his fifth year as head coach.
ESPN recently analyzed NFL teams they expect will decline next season. Three of their 13 writers chose the Lions as the team anticipated to decline.
“The Lions will perform exceptionally well next season, but when you share the record for the highest wins in the NFL, there is the most risk of decline,” stated draft analyst Field Yates. “They’re my initial choice to claim the NFC North, but it might be via a 12-5 record rather than a 15-2 record.”
One of the main reasons some analysts think Detroit might decline is the departure of both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. Detroit’s offensive and defensive coordinators took on head coaching roles for the first time, prompting Campbell to revamp the coaching staff following an early playoff elimination.
Pamela Maldonado stated, “Losing both their offensive and defensive coordinators poses a significant challenge, since history indicates that teams frequently face difficulties in comparable circumstances.” Although the Lions possess abundant talent, these coaching shifts might narrow the distance between them and the other teams in the NFC North.
Following their failure to meet expectations in 2024, Detroit must once more contend in a challenging division and confront a difficult road schedule that includes numerous playoff contenders.
NFL national reporter Lindsey Thiry suggested that the Lions might need to address some fatigue early in the season.
“When a team performs as well as the Lions did in 2024 (until that early playoff elimination), their coaching staff is targeted,” Thiry remarked. “Anticipate encountering some early challenges and possibly some weariness after back-to-back emotional playoff disappointments, before they regain focus and make a strong push towards the end.”
Although the Lions will encounter obstacles, their success will hinge on the progress of young players in their lineup and general manager Brad Holmes addressing areas of need.
Although the team has encountered skepticism in the past, they are generally regarded as one of the top five teams in the National Football League. Campbell and his team have demonstrated their capability to maintain success, but now must determine how to progress deeper into the playoffs.