A Detroit Lions blog by Lions fans, for Lions fans.
While the Detroit Lions’ season ended on Christmas last week, there was one silver lining: my bold prediction was correct. That makes it two times my bold prediction has come true this season, not the record I wanted to have. In the 2025 season finale, the Lions travel and take on the Chicago Bears in […]
about 1 month ago | 2 reads
For the first time in four years, I’m previewing a Detroit Lions game that I know is “meaningless.” It’s been a good run for On Paper and the Lions, but it’s hard to put a ton of effort into this Week 18 preview against the Chicago Bears when the stakes are nearly zero, and the […]
about 1 month ago | 1 read
The Detroit Lions will likely enter the 2026 offseason looking for solutions for an offensive line that took a significant step back this season. If you’re hoping retired All-Pro center Frank Ragnow is one of those solutions, Lions quarterback Jared Goff has got some bad news for you. Talking with 97.1 The Ticket on Tuesday […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
The Detroit Lions (8-8) are officially eliminated from the 2026 playoffs, following a Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. With the postseason out of reach, the Lions are unsurprisingly ranked below the 14 teams expected to compete beyond the regular season. While the Lions still land in the teens across all power rankers, being […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
We are back with our final episode of “Before the Roar,” where myself (Morgan) and my good friend Meko Scott are breaking down the last game of the Detroit Lions’ 2025 season against the Chicago Bears, as well as taking a look ahead to what the offseason might hold. We begin by quickly recapping the […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
It’s obvious one of the major problems of the 2025 Detroit Lions was their defense. On a weekly basis, the Lions were giving up explosive play after explosive play, and in key moments, Detroit’s defense just couldn’t get off the field. It only seemed to get worse, as even the Lions’ normally-steady run defense collapsed […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
Big decisions await the Detroit Lions as they head into the 2026 offseason. After a massive step back this year, Lions coach Dan Campbell said he expects to evaluate everything this offseason, and there’s a chance to make changes anywhere. The defense figures to be a pretty big focus this offseason, as the Lions dropped […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
The Detroit Lions saw five players earn Pro Bowl nominations in 2025-26, and while postseason recognition is meant to be an appreciation of talent, there are typically financial ramifications attached to the acknowledgement. For veterans, those outcomes often present themselves in the form of palatable roster bonuses. However, first-round picks who are still playing on […]
about 2 months ago | 5 reads
Based on the Monday press conference from coach Dan Campbell, the Detroit Lions appear to be treating their regular season finale against the Chicago Bears mostly like any other. Despite the fact that the Lions have already been eliminated from postseason contention, Campbell wants the team to compete. “We’re not playing for the playoffs but […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
Week 17 comes to a close with a “Monday Night Football” matchup featuring the Los Angeles Rams (11-4) and the Atlanta Falcons (6-9). While this game will be important for the Rams’ NFL Playoff seeding, a Falcons win could increase the Detroit Lions’ chances of getting a better pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. The […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
If you’re wondering whether the Detroit Lions are going to play all of their starter in a “meaningless” Week 18 game against the Chicago Bears, coach Dan Campbell gave a resounding… maybe? Unsurprisingly, Campbell mentioned that the game can say a lot about a team’s set of players, and it’s the standard in Detroit to […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
The Detroit Lions (8-8) and Chicago Bears (11-5) will square off in a Week 18 divisional rivalry game. Unfortunately, this game has lost a bit of its luster, as the Lions are limping toward the end of the season, and the Bears have already clinched the NFC North title, their first since 2018. The folks […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
Before the 2025 Detroit Lions season began, many wondered how the team would look after losing both coordinators to head coaching jobs. Many warned of a potential “brain drain” in Detroit, and when Frank Ragnow suddenly retired in May, offensive line concerns were just as large—if not larger—than that of the coaching staff losses. One […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
As I wrote in this week’s Lions-Vikings preview article, “each loss has felt heavier than the last, often coming in ways that raise new questions rather than offering answers.” Christmas was no exception. If anything, it marked a new rock bottom—introducing the one feeling Lions fans hadn’t fully experienced in a while: a jaded numbness. […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
The NFL likes to really draw out the reveal of their Week 18 schedule. Hoping to put some win-and-in scenarios in primetime for the final regular season week, the NFL waits until most of the Week 17 is done before scheduling the final week of the season. After the 49ers’ win over the Bears on […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
In a season unanimously viewed as a failure, there are many parts of the 2025 Detroit Lions that can be considered disappointing. Whether it is the continued onslaught of injuries, the regression from the offense, the struggles of the defense, or the inability to reach the playoffs—let alone compete for a Super Bowl—a lot went […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
The NFL will end its Week 17 Sunday slate of games with a bang, as the Chicago Bears (11-4) will travel West to take on the San Francisco 49ers (11-4). This holiday season, the Bears have sat back and watched with glee as both the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers lost their Week 17 […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
With five Week 17 games in the books, and two nationally televised games still on the docket (“Sunday” and “Monday Night Football”), the regular Sunday slate of games is quite a bit smaller than most weeks in the NFL. Fortunately, there are a couple of meaningful games that will likely be available for you to […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
The Detroit Lions’ playoff hopes are dead. It’s a terrible development, and I’m sure many Lions fans are checked out because of it. But for those who are staying, there are still some stakes left in the final two weeks of the 2025 NFL season. Most notably, the Lions’ draft position is still in flux. […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Even though there’s one more game left, the Detroit Lions’ 2025 season is ostensibly over. The playoffs are no longer a possibility, and fans and media alike are already trying ot pick up the pieces of what went wrong in a season so filled with hope and expectation. While it is never hard watching the […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
It’s the holiday season, and that means the NFL is going to attempt to broadcast as many games over as many days as possible. While the Christmas Day triple-header was a debacle, Saturday’s games will have a bigger impact on the postseason, potentially making them a better product for NFL fans to consume. Unfortunately, while […]
about 2 months ago | 0 reads
Oh, did you think that our Detroit Lions rooting guide died with the team’s playoff chances? Absolutely not. We just shift the focus to 2026 and the things that could help this franchise bounce back in a big way next season. Yes, it’s time to talk about 2026 NFL Draft position for these 8-8 Detroit […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read
The Detroit Lions have been eliminated from the playoffs for the first time in three years. That last time was 2022, when just before the Lions were scheduled to play the Green Bay Packers for a potential win-and-you’re-in scenario, the Seattle Seahawks eliminated Detroit with an overtime win. The Lions didn’t seem to care much […]
about 2 months ago | 2 reads
Thus ends the Detroit Lions’ 2025 campaign. The dream was dying after a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, but it is officially dead following the Christmas Day loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Detroit has fallen to 8-8 on the season, an embarrassing and disappointing fall from their 15-2 season the year prior. The […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
While the Detroit Lions entered this game with slim hopes for the postseason, they let their final opportunity slip through their fingers with self-inflicted mistakes (six turnovers) and another ineffective game plan. Let’s take a look at how the Lions adapted their approach to their rematch with the Minnesota Vikings. Quarterbacks: After being efficient with […]
about 2 months ago | 1 read