By Moses Joshua 
With the NFC tightening and Detroit slipping, their former franchise star picked the worst possible moment to stumble.
The Detroit Lions entered Thanksgiving week needing help—and not just from their own locker room. At 7–5 and slipping out of the NFC playoff picture, Detroit suddenly found itself in a crowded race involving the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, and Dallas Cowboys. Every result mattered. Every win mattered. And every performance from opponents—and former allies—mattered too.
Then Sunday happened, and it didn’t break the Lions’ way.
Stafford’s Stumble Comes at the Worst Time
Matthew Stafford has been one of the biggest storylines in the NFL this season, drawing MVP chatter and leading one of the league’s most explosive offenses. But when Detroit needed him most—indirectly, but desperately—the former Lions quarterback couldn’t deliver.
Stafford’s Los Angeles Rams fell 31–28 to the Carolina Panthers, a game in which the veteran quarterback turned the ball over three times. One giveaway was returned for a touchdown, and the final dagger came in the form of a sack-fumble that Carolina converted into a clock-draining return to seal the loss.
It was, by any measure, a rare off-day for Stafford. But for the Lions, it felt like a gut punch. This was an opportunity for Detroit to gain ground in a razor-tight playoff race—an opportunity that evaporated with every Rams miscue.
Despite some impressive throws, Stafford didn’t deliver on what mattered most: protecting the football. The timing couldn’t have been worse.
Detroit Still Controls Its Fate—But the Path Just Got Steeper
The loss to Green Bay exposed Detroit’s vulnerability at the worst point in the season. But the Lions’ road isn’t impossible. In fact, it remains surprisingly straightforward.
Detroit faces massive upcoming tests against the Cowboys, Rams, and Bears—games that could define their season. Winnable matchups against the Vikings and Steelers also loom, offering potential momentum builders if Dan Campbell’s squad can rediscover its early-season rhythm.
This is still a team with playoff—and even Super Bowl—ambitions. We’ve seen franchises surge in December before, flipping the narrative seemingly overnight. Last season, the Washington Commanders were that late-season spoiler team. This year, Detroit hopes to be the one catching fire rather than getting burned by someone else’s surge.
Even after Stafford’s costly implosion, the Lions’ destiny remains in their own hands.
No More Waiting for Help — Detroit Must Save Itself
Detroit fans entered the season with bold expectations, and despite setbacks, those hopes aren’t dead. But if Sunday reminded the Lions of anything, it’s this:
They cannot rely on anyone else.
Not a former franchise quarterback. Not scoreboard watching. Not luck.
If the Lions are going to reach the postseason—and make noise once they get there—it will happen because they corrected course themselves. Stafford didn’t do them any favors, but Detroit still has the chance to become the late-season team no one wants to face.
The time has come for the Lions to stop searching for outside help and start playing like the team they expected to be in 2025.