The Detroit Lions’ 2025 NFL season will officially come to an end on Sunday in Week 18 against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. While the Lions will close the year on the road, the reality is already set: Chicago is playoff-bound, and Detroit’s reign atop the NFC North is over.
Adding to the sting is the fact that the Bears are now led by former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, while his successor in Detroit, John Morton, had his play-calling duties removed by head coach Dan Campbell midway through the season.
As the Lions prepare for the offseason, Campbell has made it clear what he believes was the biggest reason for Detroit’s disappointing 2025 campaign.
Dan Campbell Identifies Run Game as Lions’ Biggest Weakness in 2025
According to Campbell, the Detroit Lions’ rushing attack was a major issue throughout the season and remains one of the team’s biggest areas of concern.
“It’s everything,” Campbell said when asked about the state of Detroit’s ground game.
The Lions entered 2025 coming off one of the NFL’s top rushing seasons in 2024, but that success vanished. By late December, Detroit’s run game had fallen among the worst-ranked units in the league, putting consistent pressure on the passing offense.
Campbell also hinted that organizational changes could be coming once the season concludes.
“There’s a lot of things that go into it,” Campbell said. “I need time to really sit down and think about all this. But what we do know is one way or another, probably change is inevitable.”
John Morton Acknowledges Execution Issues on Offense
Despite losing play-calling duties earlier in the year, John Morton echoed Campbell’s assessment, noting that the run game had been emphasized all season—even if the results didn’t show it.
“It’s always been a big emphasis every single week,” Morton said. “Sometimes you get behind the 8-ball and you’ve got to throw it. Sometimes we just aren’t executing.”
Morton added that responsibility for the struggles falls on everyone involved.
“We all have our hand in all of this. It’s just a little bit of everything.”
Offensive Line Injuries Hurt Lions’ Run and Pass Protection
Campbell also pointed to the offensive line as another key factor in Detroit’s offensive regression.
The Lions were forced to navigate the season with multiple injuries up front, compounded by the offseason retirement of four-time Pro Bowler Frank Ragnow. The lack of continuity showed up both in the run game and pass protection.
“I’d probably start with the O-line,” Campbell said. “Just want to see if we can polish some things up—work together, work our combinations just a little bit.”
Through 16 games, Detroit’s offensive line ranked:
20th in run block win rate
31st in pass block win rate
36 sacks allowed
Lions Face Critical Offseason After 2025 Letdown
With only one game remaining, the Lions are already shifting focus toward the offseason. Between a declining run game, offensive line instability, and looming coaching decisions, Detroit faces major questions heading into 2026.
Dan Campbell made one thing clear: while changes may not be drastic, something will be different—and the Lions’ path forward will start in the trenches.
