By Moses Joshua 
For Detroit, winning up front isn’t a talking point — it’s the difference between a playoff push and an early offseason.
If the Detroit Lions are going to win out and keep their postseason hopes alive, the formula isn’t complicated. It’s physical. It’s gritty. And it starts in the trenches.
For the better part of the last three seasons, the Lions have gone exactly as far as their offensive and defensive lines have taken them. When Detroit controls the line of scrimmage, they look like a playoff-caliber team. When they don’t, the cracks show quickly. With three games left and little margin for error, that reality is impossible to ignore.
The Trenches Have Always Told the Story
This is the first time since 2022 that Detroit has found itself in a truly desperate position. The math is clear: the Lions likely need to win out and get help to reach the playoffs. Much like that earlier team, this version of Detroit will sink or swim based on how it performs up front.
Pass rush. Run defense. Run blocking. Clock control. It all traces back to the same place.
When the Lions fail to stop the run or generate pressure, wins become scarce. Offensively, when the line can’t establish a ground game, Detroit loses its ability to dictate tempo. In December football, that balance matters more than ever.
‘Ground Supremacy’ and a Defensive Wake-Up Call
Detroit’s Week 15 loss offered a clear example of what happens when the trenches are lost. The Lions surrendered 159 rushing yards and were consistently pushed backward at the point of attack. Head coach Dan Campbell didn’t dodge the issue.
“We said going into that game, on both sides of the ball, it was ground supremacy. We did not own the ground, and that makes it extremely difficult defensively to defend those guys if you cannot corral or limit their run game.”
Campbell detailed how misdirection, motion, and tight end inserts compounded the problem.
“They did a number of things on the runs, the turbo motions, the inserts with the tight ends. They force your corners to be supportive on the inside… just all these little things that we’ve got to be much crisper on.”
The numbers back it up. This season, Detroit is 6–1 when holding opponents under 100 rushing yards. Last year, the Lions were among the NFL’s best run-stopping defenses. This year, inconsistency has crept in, with six games allowing more than 100 yards on the ground. That trend has to stop — immediately.
And it won’t get easier.
“We’re going to get it from Pittsburgh. That’s what they do,” Campbell said.
Why the Run Game Still Matters on Offense
Detroit’s offense continues to score, but production alone doesn’t equal control. Against the Rams, the Lions piled up 396 total yards and 34 points — yet rushed for just 70 yards. The imbalance showed.
Without a reliable run game, Detroit couldn’t manage the clock or keep Los Angeles’ explosive offense off the field. Fewer sustained drives meant more pressure on the defense and less margin for error in a shootout.
Campbell believes the solution is straightforward.
“Like I say, offensively, we just got to get our run game going. We got to find a run game here and reduce the stress in some of the pass game protection stuff.”
A consistent ground attack doesn’t just chew clock — it stabilizes pass protection, slows down opposing pass rushers, and opens the playbook. For Detroit, it’s the missing piece that turns scoring drives into game-controlling ones.
The Path Forward Is Physical
At this stage of the season, there’s no mystery about what the Lions need to fix. Playoff football starts in the trenches, and Detroit knows it.
Control the run. Win first down. Dictate tempo. Own the ground.
If the Lions can reclaim that identity over the final three weeks, they give themselves a fighting chance. If not, the margin disappears quickly.
In this must-win stretch, ‘ground supremacy’ isn’t a buzzword — it’s the season.