Sportsnaut
The Detroit Lions posted the best record in the NFL last season, 15-2, only to suffer a first-round exit in the NFL Playoffs. Coming off an offseason that saw turnover on the coaching staff, there’s more pressure on a talented roster to overcome a tough Lions schedule.
Let’s dive into our game-by-game Lions predictions for the 2025 NFL season.
For the first time since 2022, the Lions’ schedule will open with a loss in Week 1. It’s going to take time for the new play-callers to settle in, and the Lions’ interior offensive line will likely be a weakness early in the season. Dealing with all of that in a regular-season opener at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers proves too much to overcome for Detroit. Revenge will come later in the year; this won’t be the best version of the Lions.
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Amon-Ra St. Brown has made it pretty clear that the Lions roster is looking forward to this game. For all the love Detroit has for Ben Johnson, he poached a lot of quality coaching talent. In time, he’ll get the most out of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. That time isn’t Week 2. Detroit’s familiarity with Johnson’s scheme and the huge gap in both talent and depth between these two teams will be apparent in Detroit’s win.
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Once again, it’s the acclimation period that comes back to hurt Detroit on the road. Racing the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football, Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry take advantage of a few lapses by the first-year defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. On the other side of the ball, Baltimore will exploit the middle of Detroit’s offensive line to keep Jared Goff out of rhythm with his receivers well-covered. This is the downside of being a great team in recent years, getting coordinators poached and facing first-place teams gives Detroit some early challenges.
The Lions’ schedule doesn’t have a lot of ‘gimme’ games, but this should be one of them. Aidan Hutchinson should thrive against one of the worst NFL offensive lines, and Joe Flacco’s penchant for turnover-worthy plays will provide Detroit’s secondary with plenty of chances for interceptions. With takeaways providing better field position, the Lions’ offense punches in four touchdowns en route to a double-digit victory at home over the Cleveland Browns.
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