The Good, Bad, Ugly Of Lions' First Four Games

The Detroit Lions are off to a strong 3-1 start to the 2025 season.

Dan Campbell's fifth season as head coach began with a loss to the Green Bay Packers, but the team has responded with three statement wins to complete nearly the first quarter of the season.

A grueling stretch still awaits the Lions, and the schedule remains a gauntlet with teams like Kansas City, Washington and Philadelphia still ahead. However, Campbell's team appears to be ready for all the tests.

Here is the good, the bad and the ugly from the first four games of the Lions' 2025 season.

The good

Pass-rush

One of the most surprising elements of the team's 3-1 start has been how good the overall pass-rush has been. Aidan Hutchinson has lived up to his billing with four sacks through four games, but the group as a whole has been productive.

Al-Quadin Muhammad has been a big piece of the success, as his performance against the Baltimore Ravens was a monumentous reason why the team was as successful as it was. He has 3.5 sacks already this season.

Currently, the Lions lead the NFL in total sacks with 14, which is a surprise for the masses that were concerned about the team's lack of moves in this area over the course of the offseason. It's tough to say whether this production will hold up over a full season, but initial returns are certainly optimistic.

Offensive success

After a rough first outing in Green Bay, the Lions have bounced back in a big way and now lead the NFL in points scored through four weeks. This total is helped by a 52-point outburst against Chicago in Week 2, and the team scored over 30 in the ensuing wins over Baltimore and Cleveland.

Morton's offense ranks sixth in total yards, and the team's totals of passing and rushing touchdowns both rank second. There have been some bumps in the road, but the Lions have largely been one of the NFL's most consistent offenses over the last three games.

Jared Goff has been efficient in piloting the offense, while wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is off to another exceptional start with six receiving touchdowns.

The bad:

Third-down defense

Outside of the season-opener, the Lions have been pretty solid in every facet of the game. As a result, finding bad and ugly elements of their game has been difficult. However, the team ranks in the bottom third of the league in third-down defense and stands to improve in this area.

Through the first four weeks, the Lions have allowed a 41.2 percent conversion rate on third downs. Detroit has allowed 20 conversions on 48 opposing attempts, which ranks 22nd in the league. The Lions also have allowed eight touchdowns on 13 opposing trips to the red zone, which ranks 19th in the league.

The ugly

Injuries

Detroit knows all too well what injuries can do to a team's championship hopes, as the sheer number of ailments hindered the team's chances down the stretch. Though the team doesn't have nearly as many as last year at this stage, there are concerns after four weeks.

Most notably, free agent addition D.J. Reed is expected to miss time with a hamstring injury and Davenport and safety Daniel Thomas are already on injured reserve. Reed suffered the injury Sunday, and it remains to be seen whether the team ultimately puts him on IR.

Fellow cornerback Terrion Arnold is also dealing with a shoulder injury, which could force the Lions to have two different starting corners in a matchup against Cincinnati this Sunday. The injury bug has already hit Detroit, and the team is certainly hoping that it won't be a long-term issue.

Season-opening loss to Green Bay

The ugliest part about Detroit's season to this point has been its trip to Lambeau Field to open the year. Detroit struggled on both sides of the ball and was picked apart by Jordan Love in a 27-13 defeat.

Detroit's only loss of the year to this point was a sluggish performance, as the offense had a difficult time generating momentum and didn't reach the end zone until Isaac TeSlaa's jaw-dropping one-handed catch in the game's final minute.

Campbell has watched as his team has responded to this loss in a big way. That loss is an indication of what the team looks like on its most difficult day.