In 2008, the Detroit Lions broke a record.
They became the first team to lose every game in a season. Between 2008 and 2022, being a Lions fan was laughable. Now, the Lions are the best team in the National Football Conference (NFC). This may seem like a bold claim — how can one of the worst teams in football history become the best team in their conference? Still, it has merit.
The stats alone should put Detroit at the front of the NFC. Their 15-2 record and number one seed shows the dominance of this team, but by looking at the individual categories and players, their accomplishments become even more impressive.
As of Jan. 15, 2025, FOX sports has ranked the Lions as the second best offense overall and the best in the NFC, with 410 yards per game on average and 70 total touchdowns. They lead the league with 33 points per game and are the third most effective red zone offense in the league, scoring touchdowns on 69% of their drives into the red zone.
The passing offense, ranked first in the NFC by FOX, is a big reason for this, accounting for an average of 263 yards per game and 39 total touchdowns. Detroit has some impressive assets in the passing game, such as pro-bowl wide receiver Amon-ra St. Brown and MVP candidate Jared Goff. Their diverse playbook allows them to succeed in a variety of situations.
Their rushing attack is strong as well, ranked fifth in the NFC and contributing 146 yards per game along with 29 total touchdowns. The rushing duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery — otherwise known as Sonic and Knuckles, due to their respective speed and strength — are one of, if not the best, in the league. Both of them have at least 10 touchdowns and over 700 rushing yards.
These stats are even more impressive given that they play in one of the most challenging divisions in the league — the NFC North — which is ranked second hardest by FOX.
Three out of the four teams in the division made the playoffs, the Lions with the number one seed, the Minnesota Vikings with the five seed, and the Green Bay Packers with the seven seed; although both the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings were first round exits. The Lions won the division for the second year in a row, and secured a 6-0 division record with their win over the Vikings on Jan. 5.
Now that we’ve covered the offensive stats, let’s talk a little bit about the defense.
To be completely honest, the Lion’s defense has been poor.
With the amount of injuries they have had, it’s impressive they haven’t struggled more.
As of Jan. 15, 2025, Detroit had 15 players on injured reserve — a majority of these being defensive starters.
The biggest blow to the team’s defense came when star edge rusher Aiden Hutchinson fractured his tibia and fibula during a tackle in a week six matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
Hutchinson was a key piece of the Lions defensive line and was on track to break the Lion’s sack record. Although Detroit traded for Za’Darius Smith to help fill the hole, the pass rush just hasn’t been the same since.
Injuries to other key starters on the line — like Alim McNeil and Mekhi Wingo — have been no help. In fact, heading into their first playoff game, Detroit only has two members of its original front seven who aren’t injured.
Despite this, FOX still ranks their rush defense as third in the NFC.
The Lions’ secondary has also had its fair share of injuries recently, with starting cornerback Carlton Davis III on IR along with his replacement, Khalil Dorsey.
Even though the pass defense isn’t rated as high as the run defense, there are some standouts.
Free safety Kerry Joseph leads the league with nine interceptions, but was snubbed from the pro bowl, and strong safety Brian Branch is having a career season with 109 tackles.
The most common argument against Detroit is that the Eagle’s powerful offense and lock-down defense trumps the Lion’s risky fourth down decisions and second-string defense.
While Philadelphia is certainly a strong team, I think that quarterback Jalen Hurts’ recent concussion, along with their locker room issues between Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown, are significant problems. Despite these issues, Hurts and the Eagles looked good in their wild card round victory over the Packers.
I think that Detroit’s ability to slow down and basically stop a strong Vikings’ offense in week 18 highlights three things: the resilience of this team, their readiness for playoff competition, and their superiority over the Eagles.
To be clear, I am not making the point that the Lions are the best team in the league because their defense is the best in the league. My argument is, with how many injuries they have, the defensive performance has been more than impressive, and the way that backups have stepped up is a sign of how strong the organization and coaching is.
Since the 2008 season, the Lions have had five head coaches: Jim Schwartz, Jim Caldwell, Matt Patricia, Darrell Bevell, and their current head coach, Dan Campbell.
Last year, Campbell took a team that hadn’t won a playoff game in 32 years to a Division Title and the NFC championship. If it weren’t for their second half collapse in that game, he would have taken them to the Super Bowl.
This year he led the team to the number one seed in the NFC, the first in franchise history.
His philosophy of grit has been embraced by the team, as have his bold fourth down decisions. The Lions truly embody his ideals of a hard-working, enduring team that supports each other. This is shown by the team’s previously discussed depth and ability to play competitive football, even with a host of injuries to their key players.
When talking about coaching, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn can’t be forgotten: Johnson is the man behind Detroit’s high-achieving offense and many of their trick plays, while Glenn is the one who makes the fractured defense run.
The genius of these coaches is seen in the Lions’ play and in the coaching carousel, where both coordinators are highly sought after for coaching positions with other teams.
Their unique combination — talent on both sides of the ball, backups who are ready to fill big holes, and coaches who encourage fortitude — allows the Lions to excel in a difficult division and makes them the best team in the NFC.
