Despite sporting one of the elite rosters in the NFL, there are no shortage of doubts about the Detroit Lions going into 2025 and analysts aren't the only ones who see Detroit taking a step back this season.
The Athletic's Jeff Howe polled NFL coaches and executives to get their takes on who they think will "fall short of expectations" in 2025.
The Lions were the top response in the poll by a wide margin, with Detroit getting 16 votes. The next closest team was the Washington Commanders with nine.
“It's hard to lose two coordinators,” one general manager in Howe's poll said of the Lions.
Analysts have routinely mentioned the Lions having two new coordinators as the big concern for the 2025 team.
However, quarterback Jared Goff has downplayed the impact, and lest we forget the Philadelphia Eagles just won a Super Bowl after replacing their coordinators.
Besides, there is a fair bit of continuity with John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard, as they worked under Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, respectively, in the past.
That should help make Detroit's transition smoother, as will the presence of head coach Dan Campbell.
“They'll still be good even with all the turnover,” another executive said. “They still all have the same identity as the head coach. And they'll continue to play good defense.”
Coming off a 15-win season, anything short of a Super Bowl for the Lions would be a major disappointment. A different executive from Howe's poll doesn't think Detroit has the horses to win it.
“They'll win the division, but they're not Super Bowl contenders,” the exec said.
After 27 wins over the past two seasons, the Lions are clearly one of the best teams in the NFL and a legit Super Bowl contender, so we take issue with the last exec's claim.
That said, it remains to be seen if the Lions will actually cash in. Unfortunately, history suggests they won't.
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