The Detroit Lions had a historic regular season in 2024-25, finishing with an impressive 15-2 record, including a perfect 6-0 mark against NFC North rivals. This remarkable turnaround from being considered one of the NFL’s laughingstocks to the league’s top team is a testament to the leadership of head coach Dan Campbell and the smart acquisitions made by General Manager Brad Holmes. With the Lions’ dominant performance, they’ve put themselves in strong contention for the Super Bowl, and many would pick them to emerge victorious over teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, who also posted a 15-2 record.
However, despite their regular season dominance, the Lions are not guaranteed a Super Bowl berth. The NFL playoffs are full of competition, and teams like the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and even wildcard teams such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams pose serious threats. The Green Bay Packers, as the seventh seed, also loom as a dangerous opponent.
The Lions’ main vulnerability heading into the playoffs is their lack of defensive depth. Despite returning some key players like linebacker Alex Anzalone, injuries have hit the defensive side of the ball hard. Players like defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, cornerback Carlton Davis III, and linebacker Derrick Barnes are all dealing with injuries, and the defense could struggle in their absence. The injury issues extend to both starters and depth players, and even rookies like Terrion Arnold are battling injuries. While the Lions defense showed resilience in their win against the Vikings, the team’s defense could become a liability in a high-scoring shootout.
The blueprint to beat the Lions was demonstrated by the Buffalo Bills in a thrilling 48-42 victory in December, where the Lions’ defense was unable to keep pace with the explosive offense of Buffalo. While the Lions’ offense is firing on all cylinders with stars like Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Amon-Ra St. Brown, their defense will need to step up to prevent them from getting caught in a shootout. If their defensive depth doesn’t improve, it could be their downfall in the playoffs.
