The Detroit Lions 2024-25 season ends in heartbreak- so what's next?

Table of Contents

0.1 After a surprise playoff loss to the Commanders, the Lions now face adversity on their path to the top of the football world
0.2 Improvement in 2024 Offseason Not Quite Enough
0.3 Job Interviews Causing Distractions?
0.4 How to keep the good times going- and actually finish the job
0.5 Priorities for Remaining a Perennial Playoff Contender
0.6 Promoting from Within Could be a Way of Protecting the Staff
0.7 The window with this core is nowhere near closed
0.8 Sponsors
0.9 Discord/Facebook Groups

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After a surprise playoff loss to the Commanders, the Lions now face adversity on their path to the top of the football world

The Lions walked into their playoff game against the upstart Washington Commanders with loads of hype and expectations they would win handily and advance, continuing what had been the best season in franchise history up until that point. It was a dream scenario.

Until it wasn’t. Just minutes into the game, Detroit suffered another injury to a key defender, Amik Robertson. The Washington offense marched down the field at will. Detroit couldn’t hold onto the ball and score for much of the game. Jared Goff suffered some big shots and never was the same.

Ultimately, all 15 wins came to a crashing halt in the playoffs when the injury bug that had plagued the Lions all year finally caught up to them. After the NFC Championship game loss, I took a look at what the Lions should’ve done to bolster their team. Many moves suggested there were made, and unsurprisingly the team was better.

Improvement in 2024 Offseason Not Quite Enough

So why didn’t they go all the way? It’s hard to pinpoint the blame on any single reason, but rather a multitude of problems all came together at the worst possible time.

The biggest factor is the injury bug. 16 players entered the playoffs on Injured Reserve. Multiple other starters missed time due to injury. David Montgomery and Alex Anzalone both toughed it out through bad injuries late in the year. With so many players hurt, one of the best rosters in the league was whittled down, particularly on defense. It’s easy to look at the Lions as an unhealthy squad and point out how they likely would’ve blown the brakes off the Commanders if they had even half of their injured players.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Aidan Hutchinson went down early and it was all downhill afterwards. The injury bug is ruthless and really forced this team to postpone the Super Bowl run for another time. The coaching and management of the practice squad and free agent signings needs a lot of recognition- the Lions only lost 2 games in the regular season with the horrendous injury luck. Unfortunately, the playoffs don’t forgive the teams that can’t stay healthy.

But while injuries played a major factor in the Lions playing poorly, it doesn’t completely explain why one of the best offenses in the league went flat. It can’t explain questionable play-calling that was embarrassing at best. Ben Johnson’s best idea was a Jameson Williams pass on the most integral drive of the entire season.

Job Interviews Causing Distractions?

Were Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn distracted by their job interviews? If so, it really showed. Glenn and Johnson couldn’t seem to get anything done. The team couldn’t execute, and the coaching wasn’t exactly the greatest. Not the greatest sign for any franchise looking to take on Glenn and Johnson as the leaders of their squad.

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But the Lions fans have pointed to another unexpected scapegoat as the potential reason for their loss- quarterback Jared Goff.

That’s right, Jared Goff, the quarterback who had become the leader of this team and fan base, the quarterback who had taken on so much support. Yet, his poor play in the game (23-40, 313 yards, 1 TD and 3 interceptions) has led to many fans becoming irrationally upset with Goff.

Some have pointed to Goff as the reason why Detroit didn’t win. Some of those fans have called for Goff’s head, and hoped they would move on to another quarterback in the days following the loss. However to me, it seems as though those fans didn’t watch the game, or any of the games this season.

Goff has been nothing less than the hardest worker in the city of Detroit. He has led this team back from the basement of the NFL. Goff has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league. But after his poor performance, fans want him out. This is unfair to Goff who has done nothing but give his all to the city and the team.

In the game against the Commanders, Goff was shaken up early on a huge hit. He had to leave the game and get checked out for a concussion, and for the rest of the game, he wasn’t 100%. This put the Lions in a sticky situation at the worst possible time. Goff will be the QB of the Lions future, so it’s unfair and useless to be a fan calling for his replacement.

No matter what the reason for the loss was, it still is a terrible end to one of the most promising seasons in franchise history. 15 wins, a division crown, the 1 seed in the playoffs, all while dealing with the one of the most injury-ridden seasons possible is nothing to quickly brush over. Unfortunately, the job couldn’t be finished and now fans are wondering what direction to head next.

How to keep the good times going- and actually finish the job

The Lion’s season was a success by almost every possible measure- with the exception being playoff success. The team was down to the bottom of their depth chart for much of the season in many positions, but now they will face many of these players becoming free agents. The big question for Brad Holmes is if he chooses to re-sign many of their depth guys, or continue to draft to fill out these positions.

The biggest positions of need this year come with the big men up front. The linemen on both sides of the ball could use some improvement. Offensively, the Lions were banged up on the line, and it’s not like Frank Ragnow, Graham Glasgow or Taylor Decker are getting any younger and healthier. Having depth and rotational pieces up front is important, since the Lions offense runs through the trenches.

Defensively, the Lions also suffered immensely without Aidan Hutchinson on the line. Hutch was on unheard of levels when he went down for the season against the Cowboys early, and Detroit was forced to pivot quickly. Alim Mcneill proved to be a solid piece, earning an extension midway through the season, but he too went down hurt.

Eventually the pass rush became Za’Darius Smith, who was picked up from Cleveland, and seemingly only Za’Darius Smith. The defensive line was absolutely destroyed from the injuries, though before Detroit was only a piece away from having one of the most feared lines in the league. Now, I encourage them once again to build alongside Hutch, Smith and Mcneill, hopefully adding another rusher who can stop both the run and get sacks.

One name linked to the Lions is hometown kid Maxx Crosby. He played college ball not far from Detroit at Eastern Michigan, and has been vocal about wanting to go to a contender. Surely this would be a slam dunk move, right?

While, not necessarily. Crosby would cost a lot, and that isn’t the greatest move if you’re looking to keep much of the current roster intact. I also question how he would fit in the current locker room.

So while I’m not instantly opposed to Crosby, I wonder if it would be more trouble to have him on the team than if he stayed in Vegas.

Priorities for Remaining a Perennial Playoff Contender

What else should be considered a priority for the Lions? Perhaps locking in the third receiver in the core would be a solid move. Jameson Williams had a breakout year, defining himself as the second option. Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond both have made strong cases to stay in the rotation, but adding one more guy would help solidify with depth and be a contingency if Jameson can’t stay consistent.

It should be higher on the priority list for Detroit to keep on adding stronger depth pieces. This season showed just how devastating injuries can be, and this means that every position out there is a potential draft target for Brad Holmes, save for the specialists and running back room.

It’s also worth noting the biggest changes to the team might not even come from the roster- rather it will be the coaching staff undergoing the largest upheavals. Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson left to go to the division-rival Bears and Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn is poised to find work in many other places in the NFL. He’s been linked to the Jets and New Orleans among others. Terrell Williams the Defensive Line Coach and Run Game Coordinator has opted to rejoin Mike Vrabel as his Defensive Coordinator in New England for 2025.

Promoting from Within Could be a Way of Protecting the Staff

The Lions have a “next man up” mentality, where no matter who goes down, someone is waiting behind to take their opportunity and go. Perhaps the next man up for Offensive and Defensive Coordinator will surpass Johnson and Glenn and finally take Detroit over the hump. It will still be a massive shift for Dan Campbell, who has had the luxury of the same staff since he took over.

Keep an eye on current Passing Game Coordinator Tanner Engstrand as a potential candidate to take over Offensive Coordinator. He served as an Offensive Coordinator for University of San Diego from 2011 to 2017, and the XFL’s DC Defenders in 2020 before joining the Lions. He has been a member of the Lions since the XFL ceased operations being retained by Dan Campbell when hired. He has served as the Passing Game Coordinator since 2022.

To try and retain Mark Brunell you could give him the Passing Game Coordinator title on top of his duties as Quarterback Coach. This would keep the offense and terminology virtually the same while appeasing Jared Goff in the process.

Another candidate could be Hank Fraley, the current Offensive Line Coach who recently interviewed for the Offensive Coordinator position with the Seattle Seahawks. Fraley is another hold over from the previous Lions’ coaching staff, but he has been coaching since 2012, and also came from the previously mentioned University of San Diego staff where he began his coaching career over a decade ago. You might be able to sway him to stay even if Engstrand gets the OC job by giving him the Run Game Coordinator title.

On defense the Lions could look to promote De’Shea Townsend currently their Passing Game Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach. After losing Terrell Williams to the Patriots, they should be looking to retain coaches on the staff, and one way to do that is promote from within. Promoting Townsend would make sense given he has three years experience as a Passing Game Coordinator in the NFL and has been coaching secondaries since 2011.

With this move you could also promote your WCF Minority Coaching Assistant Dre Thompson who served as a cornerbacks coach in the college ranks with University of Buffalo in the past. He has been with the Lions for two seasons now and seems to be well-liked in the building.

Cameron Davis could also see a promotion to Defensive Line Coach. He has been with Detroit for three seasons now as the assistant to Terrell Williams. He served as the DL coach for Lamar University for two years prior to joining the Lions, and has been coaching since 2013. He has 8 seasons of experience overseeing Defensive Lines in college or the pro ranks and could be the next man up for Defensive Line Coach.

The window with this core is nowhere near closed

Don’t be fooled by an ugly playoff exit- the Lions are still contenders for the Super Bowl for years to come. Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have created a culture full of grit and winning, so Detroit will be in the conversation for a while.

Many might be out on Jared Goff as a winner, but I’d say they’re wrong in a heartbeat. Many might also be out on this defense, and yes, I’d still say they’re wrong. Maybe they’re out on Dan Campbell as a winning coach. I’d run through a brick wall to tell them they’re wrong.

Now, the honeymoon period with the Lions is over. They’ve established themselves. Now people have seen both the upsides and downsides of this current squad. They must continue to build on this momentum, put Goff and Campbell in positions to succeed and finally get the job done.

No more talk next year, it’s time to finally see this one through. If you enjoyed this article check out more of our NFL content here.