The Detroit Lions entered this season facing plenty of skepticism after losing several key contributors over the offseason. Their Week 1 defeat to the Green Bay Packers only added fuel to the fire. But a four-game surge — capped by a blowout win over former coordinator Ben Johnson — temporarily silenced those doubts.
Lately, though, the momentum has evaporated. Despite maintaining first place in the NFC North, Detroit had already dropped two of its last four games before heading into a high-stakes Week 12 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night — a contest that carried a surprising amount of urgency for November.
That urgency wasn’t enough. The Lions stumbled badly, failing consistently on fourth downs and never taking advantage of multiple opportunities the Eagles handed them on national TV.
Lions Take a Major Fall in NFC Race After Loss
Detroit fell 16–9 in a game that felt far more lopsided than the score suggested. Everyone expected the loss to push them down the standings, but few anticipated just how far they would tumble by the end of the night.
Once sitting as the NFC’s No. 3 seed, the Lions now find themselves shoved entirely out of the playoff field, dropping a full game behind the wild-card line.
Updated NFC Standings
- Eagles (8–2) – NFC East leader
- Rams (8–2) – NFC West leader
- Bears (7–3) – NFC North leader
- Buccaneers (6–4) – NFC South leader
- Seahawks (7–3) – Wild Card
- Packers (6–3–1) – Wild Card
- 49ers (7–4) – Wild Card
- Lions (6–4)
- Panthers (6–5)
- Vikings (4–6)
- Cowboys (3–5–1)
- Cardinals (3–7)
- Falcons (3–7)
- Commanders (3–8)
- Saints (2–8)
- Giants (2–9)
The NFC picture is extremely congested, and just as one loss sent Detroit spiraling, one win could send them climbing again. But the Lions’ bigger concerns go far beyond their temporary position in the bracket.
Detroit recently shifted play-calling responsibilities away from offensive coordinator John Morton, a move that initially paid off with a 44-point explosion against Washington. But facing the Eagles — a vastly different caliber of defense — exposed deeper issues that coaching tweaks alone can’t hide.
Jared Goff struggled under pressure and in the cold, reinforcing the very criticisms he hoped to quiet. The offense never found rhythm and ultimately wasted what was arguably one of the defense’s strongest outings of the year.
As if that weren’t enough, Detroit’s remaining schedule is far from forgiving. They face the ninth-toughest slate in the league — fifth-toughest among NFC teams. Although both Green Bay and Chicago have even more difficult paths ahead, the Lions will need dramatic improvement if they want to reclaim the confidence and consistency they displayed last season.
