The Detroit Lions had their Super Bowl hopes cut short against the Washington Commanders in the divisional round last season. This is still a loaded roster with championship potential, but the answers to these questions will decide how far Detroit can go.
The Lions have been a top-five offense in the NFL in yards per game and points per game in each of the past three seasons, but the one constant during that time was Johnson calling the shots. The offensive guru moved on to take the Chicago Bears' head coaching job this offseason, so it will be up to new offensive coordinator John Morton to continue the momentum Johnson built.
Detroit is still loaded on offense. RB Jahmyr Gibbs (1,412 yards rushing in 2024, 20 total TDs) and WR Jameson Williams (eight total TDs) are threats to score every time they touch the ball, and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (12 receiving TDs), RB David Montgomery (12 rushing TDs) and TE Sam LaPorta (seven TD catches) do their jobs exceptionally well. QB Jared Goff (4,629 yards passing, 37 TDs) is great at getting his playmakers the ball, but will the OC change slow this group?
Morton insists the offense will feature more of the same in 2025.
“I'm not changing much. Why? It’s working, right? So that would be the smartest thing to do,” he recently told reporters.
New Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said he feels like a "kid in a candy store" with all the team's weapons.
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) May 14, 2025
"I'm not changing much. I mean why?" he said about taking over Detroit's offense. pic.twitter.com/3IyMZRdVsa
One of Detroit's biggest issues last year was its lack of a pass rush once Hutchinson went down with a season-ending leg injury. The star edge- rusher had a team-high 7.5 sacks in just five games. (No one else on the defense finished with more than four sacks.)
The Lions need secondary pass-rushers to step up in 2025. If they don't, offensive lines will be comfortable shading toward Hutchinson and leaving other players in one-on-one matchups. This is a big season for DE Josh Paschal (two sacks in 2024) and DE Marcus Davenport (.5 sacks in 2024) because Detroit didn't do much this offseason to solve its pass-rushing issues.
It's hard to judge Detroit's abysmal defensive performance last season. The Lions ranked 29th in the NFL in yards allowed per play (5.8) and gave up 45 points to the Commanders in their playoff loss, but they also had 21 players on injured reserve at one point. Detroit was relying on multiple third-stringers and practice-squad players for much of the season.
Hutchinson will be back to full health to begin the 2025 season, as will Davenport, DT Alim McNeil, LB Alex Anzalone and others. Keeping the defensive starters healthy will be crucial for Detroit this season.
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