Are the Lions in Trouble? Detroit’s Playoff Picture Takes a Major Blow

Written By Stephanie Beeching

A Missed Chance at the Worst Possible Time

The Detroit Lions traveled to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday night for a crucial game against the Philadelphia Eagles. They had an opportunity to strengthen their position in the NFC, but instead, walked out with a 16-9 loss that ultimately changed the momentum of their entire season. The devastating loss dropped Detroit to 6-4 and eliminated them from the current NFC playoff field. The game felt close throughout all four quarters, yet never felt like it was in Detroit’s control.

Fourth Down Missteps Make the Difference

The defining theme of the game was Detroit’s repeated fourth-down executions. The Lions finished zero for five, and every miss came at a crucial moment. Two tries were within field goal range, and two more were deep into Detroit territory, immediately turning into short fields for the Eagles. Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff finished with the lowest completion percentage of his career, a shocking 37.8%, and the offense never looked balanced. The early fake punt attempt also failed. After the game, Philadelphia said they had seen that formation on film before.

On Monday, Detroit Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell explained, “We had some missed throws, some pressure, some tipped balls, and a couple of drops.” He also admitted, “There were some bad calls by me, some calls I want back." He added that a more conservative approach “gives you a better chance”, but reinforced that this is who the Lions are and who he is. However, in a tight NFC race, those decisions could have real consequences for the Lions’ playoff chances.

An Offense That Never Found Its Rhythm

This was Dan Campbell’s first official game, taking over control of the offense for the rest of the season, and the results were certainly not what he had envisioned. The difference between this performance and last week’s matchup with the Washington Commanders was clear. In Campbell’s Play-Calling Plot Twist Leaves the Commanders in the Dust, we highlighted how energized and sharp the offense looked under Campbell’s direction. In the matchup against the Eagles on Sunday night, that same spark was unfortunately nowhere to be found.

Campbell did, however, make it clear that he planned to stay in the offensive play-caller role and intends to correct the issues from the matchup in Philadelphia rather than taking a step back.

Where Detroit Stands Now In the NFC Playoff Race

This loss removed Detroit from the current playoff field and pushed it into the group chasing the final wild-card spot. Here is the current NFC playoff alignment:

Division Leaders:

  1. Philadelphia Eagles: 8-2 (First place NFC East)

  2. Los Angeles Rams: 8-2 (First place NFC West)

  3. Chicago Bears: 7-3 (First place NFC North)

  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-4 (First Place NFC South)

Wild Card Teams:

  1. Seattle Seahawks: 7-3 (Second place NFC West)

  2. Green Bay Packers: 6-3-1 (Second place NFC North)

  3. San Francisco 49ers: 7-4 (Third place NFC West)

In The Hunt:

  1. Detroit Lions: 6-4

  2. Carolina Panthers: 6-5

  3. Dallas Cowboys: 3-5

  4. Minnesota Vikings: 4-6

  5. Arizona Cardinals: 3-7

  6. Atlanta Falcons: 3-7

  7. Washington Commanders: 3-8

  8. New Orleans Saints: 2-8

  9. New York Giants: 2-9

Detroit is now the first team out, and the margin for error has tightened considerably.

Detroit Still Controls the Story

Detroit isn’t out just yet. They still have a path to move forward, and they still have matchups against both the Packers and the Bears coming up. What they need to do now is return to the version of themselves we saw back in Washington. If they can regain that level of dominance, the season still has a chance to move in the direction they had hoped for.

Stephanie Beeching
Next

Campbell’s Play-Calling Plot Twist Leaves the Commanders in the Dust