The Detroit Lions are preparing for what might be the franchise’s most defining year in decades. Head coach Dan Campbell leads a squad that’s coming off back-to-back seasons of record-setting performances, but they now enter a new campaign without the offensive and defensive coordinators who played major roles in that success.
The big question: can the Lions keep their momentum going? Last year, they came tantalizingly close but fell to the Washington Commanders in their opening playoff matchup, ending their Super Bowl hopes. Now, the focus shifts entirely to the road ahead.
In an August 13 ESPN feature, the network assessed each NFL team’s potential by projecting win-loss records and identifying key factors that could shape their seasons. Using their Football Power Index (FPI), ESPN ran 20,000 simulations for every team, narrowing results to the middle 90% of outcomes.
For Detroit, projections show a potential high of 12-5 and a low of 7-10—a respectable spread. The biggest variable? The Lions’ newly appointed coordinators.
Reporter Eric Woodyard posed the question, “How quickly will the Lions adapt to Kelvin Sheppard and John Morton?” After a 15-win 2024 season, Detroit saw Aaron Glenn depart for the Jets’ head coaching role and Ben Johnson take over the Bears. Sheppard, now guiding the defense, and Morton, steering the offense, inherit a roster with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations—and will be tested against a challenging first-place schedule.
Other outlets aren’t as optimistic. Following the draft, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton predicted a modest 9-8 finish for the Lions, citing a grueling road slate within a competitive division. That outcome would be a setback for a team with such high ambitions.
Still, the Lions have built a reputation for defying expectations. A tough schedule may slow them down, but there’s always the possibility they’ll once again rise above the odds.
