The Detroit Lions are hitting a dangerous stretch of the season, and the warning signs aren’t subtle anymore. According to a recent Detroit News breakdown, the Lions aren’t fooling anybody with their defense — and more importantly, they aren’t scaring anybody either. Opposing offenses are walking into matchups with Detroit and leaving without so much as a scratch, because the Lions simply haven’t been generating consistent pressure or sacks.
It’s become painfully clear that Detroit has lost the bite that once made their defense one of the more intimidating groups in the NFC. Quarterbacks are getting too comfortable in the pocket, and opponents are exploiting the same weaknesses week after week. Without pressure up front, the coverage on the back end is cracking, and the entire unit looks disconnected at the worst possible time of the year.
This is especially concerning with the playoff race tightening. The Lions can’t afford to be predictable, passive, or easy to game-plan against, but that’s exactly how they’ve looked over the last few weeks. The identity Dan Campbell tried to build — physical, relentless, fearless football — isn’t showing up on Sundays.
The good news? There’s still time for Detroit to correct course. The bad news? Every remaining opponent already sees the same thing: a defense that isn’t dominating the trenches and isn’t dictating tempo. Unless something changes immediately, the Lions’ playoff hopes could slip away faster than expected.
Detroit’s Struggles Are Out in the Open — And The NFL Knows It
