Offseason Chronicles: Did the Detroit Lions blow their best chance to win a Super Bowl?

 

Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions walks off the field after an NFL divisional round matchup against the Washington Commanders, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at Ford Field, in Detroit, MI. The Commanders stunned the Lions, 45-31. (Kimberly P. Mitchell/USA TODAY NETWORK)

It felt like a storybook ending was in the cards for the Detroit Lions. The slow and steady implementation of a gritty, no-nonsense, hard-working culture by general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell allowed the Lions, a franchise formerly known for being one of the biggest laughingstocks in sports (let alone the NFL) for decades, to become one of the best teams in the NFL. After a fantastic 2023 season that saw Detroit make it to the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1991, every NFL fan and expert wondered what the team from the Motor City would do for an encore amid sky-high expectations. It's safe to say that Campbell and Co. delivered on those expectations and then some... during the regular season.

The Lions were absolutely incredible in 2024, as they managed to win 15 games and capture the NFC North division title for the second consecutive year, the first time in franchise history that the team won back-to-back division titles. Quarterback Jared Goff was fantastic throughout the year, throwing for over 4,600 yards and 37 touchdown passes while finishing as a finalist for the MVP award. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs (1,929 total yards, 20 total touchdowns) and David Montgomery (1,116 total yards, 12 rushing touchdowns) provided Detroit with one of the best rushing attacks in the league. In the passing game, All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (115 catches, 1,263 receiving yards, 12 receiving touchdowns) paired up with dynamic, speedy wideout Jameson Williams (58 catches, 1,001 receiving yards, eight total touchdowns) and do-it-all tight end Sam LaPorta (60 catches, 726 receiving yards, seven receiving touchdowns) to give Goff a myriad of talented pass catchers to throw to. As a result, the Lions' offence was borderline unstoppable, leading the league in points scored (33.2). They headed into the playoffs as the favorites to win the Super Bowl for the first time ever after clinching the number one seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a dominant victory over the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings in Week 18. It felt like the time had finally come for the Lions to shed the "Same Old Lions" label and leap into new, uncharted territory.

However, one thing about football is that it is a humbling game. A sport where the most dominant teams can fall in a swoop; where a promising season can come to a sudden, crashing end. The 2024 Detroit Lions became the latest team to encounter this devastating fate, as they suffered a stunning playoff defeat to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs. After enjoying their best season in franchise history, the Lions left the playoff field without a single win.

"This isn't the time to talk about what a great year we had and all the wins," said Campbell after the game. "We're here to get to the show and we fell short. That hurts."

Dan Campbell looks on during an NFC divisional round playoff game against the Washington Commanders, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, at Ford Field, in Detroit, MI. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Although the Lions entered the game favored to win by nearly 10 points, they were ultimately done in due to various factors. Goff--who only threw 12 interceptions during the regular season--turned the ball over four times against Washington's defence, which included throwing a back-breaking pick-six that put Detroit in a double-digit deficit they could not overcome. The Lions' defence--which struggled to stay healthy all season long--was overmatched and overpowered by a talented Commanders offence led by Pro Bowl rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. After repeatedly making it look easy by dominating their opponents during the regular season, the Lions received a taste of their own medicine at the worst possible time.

"It's disappointing," said Goff during his press conference after the game. "We had everything we wanted. Home field advantage, the fans were incredible and unfortunately, we just let it slip out of our hands."

After blowing a 17-point lead in last year's NFC title game loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Campbell made headlines after telling his players after the game that "this may have been our only shot" to get to the Super Bowl and that "it's going to be twice as hard to get back to this point next year". And after the team's swift exit in the divisional round of this year's playoffs, it's safe to say that Campbell wasn't wrong about that latter point.

But what about the first point? Is it true that the Lions, a team that has more regular season wins than any other NFL team over the last two years, have wasted their best chance of making a Super Bowl appearance with this current regime? I would say yes, for two main reasons.

Ben Johnson, then the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, looks on before an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, at Soldier Field, in Chicago, IL. (Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images)

#1. The departures of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn

In the NFL, the impact of having a top-tier coaching staff cannot be overstated. Just ask the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, whose decision to completely revamp their coaching staff last year is a big reason why Philly captured the Lombardi Trophy this past season.

The 2025 Lions' coaching staff will look much different than it did last season. Just days after their playoff loss to the Commanders, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson left the team to become the head coach of the NFC North division rival Chicago Bears, while defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was hired away to become the head coach of the New York Jets. As a result, the Lions are the third team since 2010 to lose both their coordinators to head-coaching positions in the same off-season.

Johnson--who served as the offensive coordinator for the Lions from 2022-2024--is well-known for employing one of the most adaptable and creative offensive schemes in the NFL, with his ability to specifically tailor his game plans on Sundays depending on the opponent. Johnson played a big-time role in reviving Goff's career when it seemed like the Pro Bowl quarterback's career was on the downswing after he was traded to Detroit in 2021, as Goff has thrown 96 touchdown passes over the last three seasons; the most in the NFL over that span. Meanwhile, despite losing Pro Bowl edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a season-ending injury in Week 6 of last season, Glenn pulled off a fantastic coaching job in Detroit, helping the Lions to finish seventh in points allowed per game (20.1).

Of course, the Lions still have an abundance of talent on the roster, but they've also lost a ton of brainpower on the coaching staff with Johnson and Glenn heading out the door this off-season and it remains to be seen if their replacements can steady the ship and ensure that the team stays atop the NFC North in 2025.

Jalen Hurts, quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy next to head coach Nick Sirianni after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, at Caesars Superdome, in New Orleans, LA. The Eagles defeated the Chiefs, 40-22. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

#2. Emerging competition in the NFC

Another reason why you could argue that the Lions' Super Bowl window is rapidly shrinking is because of the tough competition in the NFC. Although Detroit finished atop the conference during the regular season last year, they will be hard-pressed to repeat that feat in 2025.

Of course, any conversation that has to do with teams in the NFC has to start with the Eagles. While Philly did lose some key players to free agency, most of their championship-winning core remains intact, meaning that the Birds should still be a force to be reckoned with as they look to repeat as Super Bowl champs.

After trading for versatile wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil to improve the roster around Daniels, it's safe to say that the Commanders aren't going anywhere anytime soon. The Los Angeles Rams gave the Eagles a big scare in the divisional round of the playoffs and managed to retain Super Bowl-winning quarterback Matthew Stafford while also acquiring star wideout Davante Adams so Sean McVay's team should be right there in the mix as well. And of course, the Lions play in the NFC North, which is arguably the toughest division in football, as the Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Bears combined to win 30 games last season and all three teams made some impressive moves this off-season.

Coming into the 2025 NFL season, the Lions should still be the favorites to win the NFC North and be one of the best teams in the conference once again. But with Goff's cap number ballooning to $69,600,000 in 2026, combined with the fact that many of their top young players (Gibbs, Williams, and LaPorta on offence; Hutchinson, Brian Branch, and Kerby Joseph on defence) are going to be due for contract extensions in the near future, it's a safe bet to say that the sooner the Lions win a championship, the better. Because at the end of the day, the Lions' Super Bowl window is as open as what the NFL really stands for: "Not For Long".