The Detroit Lions had quietly been building the franchise up from the ground over the last few seasons, and they fully burst onto the scene in 2024. They proved themselves as legitimate contenders by winning 15 games and capturing their second consecutive NFC North title.
Unfortunately, they crumbled a bit in the playoffs against the Washington Commanders and were ultimately halted before their postseason push even began. This offseason, they were gutted with the losses of both coordinators as well.
Losing Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn were not the only catastrophes, however, as star linemen Frank Ragnow and Keith Zeitler are no longer with the Lions either. This leaves a lot of question marks throughout the roster ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
Lions predicted to win 9 games and miss playoffs in 2025
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton recently predicted the records of each NFL team for the upcoming season. While Lions fans have certainly tempered their expectations, Moton’s prediction of a 9-8 campaign still felt like a harsh reality check.
“This team must reinvent itself with inexperience at play-calling positions and along the offensive line,” Moton wrote. “Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will call plays for the first time in his career. Offensive coordinator John Morton has been a coordinator for one full season, in 2017.”
To make matters worse, Moton slotted the Lions behind the Chicago Bears, whom he predicted would go 10-7. The Green Bay Packers were the projected division winners at 11-6, meaning Detroit would finish in third place in the NFC North.
Based on this prediction as well, the Lions would miss the playoffs entirely after earning the No. 1 seed a year prior. Moton provided a logistical reason as to why Detroit may regress in 2025 as well.
“The Lions won’t be indoors as much as they were in 2024. Among the playoff teams from last year, they may have the most significant regression following a 15-2 season.”
Moe Moton, Bleacher Report
In reality, most Lions fans are still optimistic because the team has Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Penei Sewell and Amon-Ra St. Brown running the show on offense. Supplementary players like Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta and David Montgomery would be stars on other NFL offenses.
Defensively, the Lions need to find some solutions, and staying healthy seems to be an impossible battle for the franchise. But Moton’s prediction paints a dark picture of a team that missed their Super Bowl window and could dwindle into mediocrity if they do not find answers fast.
