ClutchPoints
In the same light that most fans thought the Kansas City Chiefs would eventually sneak into the postseason, many have long assumed the Detroit Lions will find a way to get into the NFC’s top seven. They’ve been on the outside looking in for quite some time now, and they are still sitting in eighth place. With back-to-back losses and because the NFC North is arguably the best division in football, it is far from a guarantee that the Lions will make the playoffs.
In fact, it is now a long shot. They need to win both of their final two games and have the Green Bay Packers lose out.
But if they do get into the postseason, the Lions’ struggles against fellow playoff-caliber teams mean that they will be doomed from the start and will be staring at a Wild Card Round elimination.
The Lions hadn’t won a playoff game since 1991 until they advanced to the Divisional Round in the 2024 playoffs. Jared Goff led a high-octane offense that included Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Sam LaPorta, and Jameson Williams. Detroit’s offense got even better last season. The team went 15-2 and earned the one-seed. Detroit scored 33.2 points per game, which gave them a claim to being one of the best offensive units ever.
However, the Lions fell short and lost their lone playoff matchup. The defense was largely to blame. The Lions were ravaged by injuries on the defensive end of the field, and it culminated in them allowing 45 points in their postseason elimination. This year, the defense was expected to be much improved.
The team was healthy coming into the year. Most notably, Aidan Hutchinson recovered from a broken leg that ended his season the year prior. Hutchinson looked like a Defensive Player of the Year candidate before his injury. The team also signed D.J. Reed in the offseason. The cornerback was one of the best free agents on the open market.
The offense is again humming, evidenced by the 30.1 points they score per game, which is the second-best mark in the NFL. However, the defense hasn’t taken the leap that many expected. Detroit is allowing 24.9 points per game, which ranks 23rd in the league. The team has improved when it comes to sacking the quarterback and creating turnovers, but they allow way too many big plays.
The passing defense, in particular, has been susceptible to big plays. The team ranks 25th in passing defense. No matter how many points the offense is putting on the board, the Lions always seem to be in shootouts in which the opponents are also scoring a lot. The Lions get away with this against inferior competition, but it is causing them to lose against playoff opponents and teams above .500. The only team currently in the playoff picture that the Lions have a win against is the Chicago Bears, and that came way back...
