By Moses Joshua 
Miscommunication, penalties, and shaky execution have defined Detroit’s toughest moments this season and Dan Campbell knows exactly where the fixes must start.
A Pattern of Miscommunication
Through eight games of the 2025 season, one troubling theme has tied together all three of the Detroit Lions’ losses: communication breakdowns. Head coach Dan Campbell didn’t mince words when explaining why his 5–3 squad stumbled again, this time in a 27–24 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings.
“In each of our losses,” Campbell said, “there’s been some form of miscommunication — whether between players or between players and coaches.”
That issue has surfaced in different ways. In Week 6 against the Kansas City Chiefs, a creative touchdown pass from David Montgomery to Jared Goff was called back due to confusion about assignments — a misstep Campbell blamed on unclear instructions from the coaching staff. But against Minnesota, the problems returned up front, where the offensive line struggled to stay aligned with Goff’s cadence and adjustments.
The result: five sacks, ten quarterback hits, and 23 pressures — one of Detroit’s most difficult pass-protection performances of the year.
Fixing the Flow: “We All Have to Be on the Same Page”
Campbell emphasized that the solution starts with better preparation and clearer dialogue between coaches and players.
“I think we just need to do a better job of really making our point about the communication of how it’s going to go down,” Campbell explained. “Let’s make sure that we’re all on the same page as coaches — and in turn, the players are — and then they’ve got to hold each other accountable, too.”
He acknowledged that the breakdowns weren’t constant but still surfaced at costly moments. Along with the protection lapses, Detroit’s offensive front couldn’t establish consistent running lanes, limiting Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to just 65 combined rushing yards on 20 carries.
To make matters worse, penalties stalled multiple drives. False starts, holding calls, and illegal shifts repeatedly pushed the Lions out of favorable downs, prompting Campbell to call it “an abysmal day” in terms of execution.
When One Mistake Leads to Another
Campbell pointed to a cascading effect that has defined each of Detroit’s losses — a tendency for small mistakes to snowball into game-changing errors.
“You get in a rough spot, and normally we get ourselves out of it,” he said. “You hit a rough patch in a game — no different than a season, right? — and you just have to get out of it. One thing compounded into the next mistake, and we started looking for things that weren’t there.”
Penalties and missteps, he added, disrupted any chance for rhythm on offense.
“We never really got into a true rhythm, and when we did, we had a penalty that really hurt us,” Campbell said. “Take one of those [mistakes] away, and you may not feel great, but you’re walking away with a win.”
Looking Ahead: A New Challenge Up Front
The Lions’ communication issues could deepen in the coming week. Rookie guard Christian Mahogany is expected to miss extended time with a knee injury, and both Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker may be sidelined for Sunday’s matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Campbell confirmed he doesn’t expect either tackle to practice early in the week, meaning Detroit’s offensive line could be reshuffled again — an added obstacle for a team already fighting to restore rhythm and trust.
Still, Campbell remains confident that the problems are fixable, and the Lions’ season-long resilience gives reason for optimism. If Detroit can finally align its communication and discipline, the next chapter may look far different from the last three losses.