Lions Answering Two Important Questions Early in 2025 Season

Entering the 2025 season, a myriad of questions surrounded the Detroit Lions. The reigning regular season kings of the NFC returned plenty of their personnel and had a stellar draft class.

However, the Lions lost both their coordinators to head coaching jobs. Additionally, the Lions did not sign a big name edge rusher in free agency to pair with Aidan Hutchinson. This came after releasing ZaDarius Smith, who was acquired at the trade deadline to fill in as Hutchinson’s injury replacement.

Turns out, through four games, the fears appear to have been overblown. The Detroit Lions currently lead the NFL in points per game, averaging 34.3 points each contest, and total sacks, with 14 on the young season.

What has gone right for Lions’ offense?

There were fears with the choice of John Morton to be the one at the helm of the dangerous Lions’ offense. However, after a lackluster week one, Morton has seemed more than up for the task.

Amon-Ra St. Brown has recorded six touchdowns through four games of the season, with all six coming over the last three games. This includes two multi-touchdown performances, which marks only the second time in the USC product’s pro career he’s accomplished the feat multiple times in a season.

Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are still splitting carries, but with a slightly different rotation when compared to Ben Johnson’s style. Plays are no longer tailored to each back, but instead, the backs are relied upon equally.

So far, this has solid returns, with Montgomery having a career-high in rushing yards against the Ravens in week three, and Gibbs recording 196 total yards between his last two games.

In spite of losing Kevin Zeitler to free agency and Frank Ragnow to retirement, the Lions are thriving. They have worked second-year pro Christian Mahogany and rookie Tate Ratledge in well. 

Through 10 games, Ratledge ranks ninth on the Lions' offense with a 66.5 Pro Football Focus offensive grade. In particular, he has been strong as a run-blocker with a 68.4 grade in this aspect of the game.

After the entire line had week one performances to forget, the unit has gelled into a force of people movers. Ratledge went toe-to-toe with top-five selection Mason Graham last week, and film says the Georgia product got the better side of it.

Defense flexing muscles early

With Detroit not picking up a marquee free agent, alongside waiting until the sixth round to take a pass rusher, there was concern. That fear became worse after their draft selection, Ahmed Hassanein, suffered an injury that required him to be waived-injured at roster cuts after showing preseason promise.

Worse yet, prior to a sack-less week one, Smith signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, ending the hopes of Lions fans and pundits.

However, in spite of the preseason panic, the pass rush under Kelvin Sheppard has thrived. The Lions have recorded 14 sacks between their contests against Chicago, Baltimore, and Cleveland.

Aidan Hutchinson had a quiet start to the season against Green Bay, being held out of not just the sack column, but the box score entirely. He is getting better week-by-week, getting his first few pressures of the year and a sack against Chicago.

Against Baltimore, he saw more double-teams again, but was able to get home in the fourth quarter and force a fumble on Ravens’ star running back Derrick Henry.

However, Hutchinson put together a dominant performance against the Browns, bullying their backup tackles. Nearly every Joe Flacco pass appeared to be with No. 97 bearing down on him, and the Michigan product finished with two sacks and another forced fumble. This came after his first strip sack fumble was whistled back for a penalty.

Currently, Hutchinson ranks sixth in the league with four sacks, and his whistled-back fifth sack would have tied him for a spot atop the NFL.

It is not just Aidan Hutchinson getting home, either. Al-Quadin Muhammad is in the middle of a resurgent year. Despite being limited for the contest against Cleveland, Muhammad is on Hutchinson’s heels for the team lead in sacks at 3.5 so far.

He brought down Lamar Jackson 2.5 times on Monday night football, along with dragging the quarterback down one yard past the line of scrimmage another time.

Muhammad already has surpassed his 2024 total of three sacks in nine games with Detroit last season. In fact, his 3.5 sacks is already the second highest season total of his career.

Marcus Davenport got his first full sack as a Lion, but was heading off to injured reserve only a few quarters after taking down Caleb Williams. The hope is that he can return and continue to aid production shortly after serving his four-game absence while on IR.

The defensive interior will also get a boost with the eventual return of Alim McNeill. On Wednesday, the team opened McNeill's return to play window, which is a huge step in his return to action after a torn ACL.

Kelvin Sheppard is a former linebacker, and it appears the unit is thriving with the coordinator seeing things from a linebacker's perspective. Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Trevor Nowaske, and Derrick Barnes have all gotten to the quarterback at least once.

Through four games, the preseason and week one narratives that Detroit is missing Ben Johnson and needs to acquire another pass rusher are just that, narratives. The staff and players called for everyone to let the games do the talking. Those games have proven Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes right yet again.