The afternoon hosts of the local sports talk radio show were in agreement: if the Lions don’t win the Super Bowl, the season will be a failure.
Even playing in the biggest American sporting event for the first time in 58 years wouldn’t be enough?
Then they took a call from a fan. “Got to admit,” the caller said, “if they don’t win it, I’ll be devastated.”
Welcome to Detroit in the winter of 2025, where the obsession over the city’s long downtrodden NFL franchise has kicked into overdrive.
As the team begins its playoff run, the fans’ expectations are through the roof of Ford Field. The local news stations might as well be renamed “The Lions News And Entertainment Networks.” Jared Goff chants are as prevalent as snow squalls.
Even though GM Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell have built a roster and culture that should last for several seasons, there’s an “all or nothing” feeling to this postseason. After the Lions came achingly close to the Super Bowl last season, squandering a 17-point halftime lead to San Francisco in the NFC Championship game, there’s a belief throughout the organization and state that this is their year.
Holmes set the bar even before the season began when asked about his expectations.
“For this season?” he said. “Win the Super Bowl.”
So, can the Lions actually pull off this feat? Absolutely. They have been the class of the NFC, riding an offense that produced an NFL-high 33.2 points per game.
There are two major concerns for the top-seeded Lions as they head into their divisional matchup with Washington on Saturday night: injuries and pressure.
While their offense suffered relatively few significant injuries, their defense was decimated. The Lions had 13 defensive players on injured reserve at the beginning of the month.
The biggest loss was superstar pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who sustained a broken leg due to “friendly fire” in the fifth game of the season. There’s a longshot chance Hutchinson could return if the Lions make it to New Orleans.
Defensive tackle Alim McNeill, the player who collided with Hutchinson, is out for the season due to a torn ACL. Defensive end Marcus Davenport, linebackers Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez and cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Khalil Dorsey are some of the other significant players on injured reserve.
The injuries caught up to them in mid-December when Buffalo gouged that unit for 559 yards and 48 points in the Lions’ second loss.
Detroit got a key player, linebacker Alex Anzalone, back from a broken arm in its regular-season finale. That, and a masterful game plan from defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, allowed the Lions to diffuse Minnesota’s offense and claim the NFC North title and top seed.
A much-needed bye week allowed some of the Lions’ walking wounded to get back for the playoffs, most notably running back David Montgomery. He injured his knee during the loss to the Bills.
Not that the Lions offense suffered much without him. Goff, other than a bizarre five-interception outing at Houston, has regularly picked apart defenses behind the league’s best offensive line. Montgomery’s running back partner, lightning-quick Jahmyr Gibbs, leads the NFL in touchdowns.
The wide receiver group is headed by All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown and deep threat Jameson Williams. Defenses also have to account for tight end Sam LaPorta and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s seemingly endless supply of trick plays.
The Commanders, despite their uber-talented rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, don’t seem ready to slow Detroit’s juggernaut. Potential NFC Championship matchups with Philadelphia or the Los Angeles Rams would, on paper, pose much greater challenges.
The Eagles have a high-powered offense of their own behind 2,000-yard rusher Saquon Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts. The Rams, led by longtime Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, nearly knocked the Lions out of last season’s playoffs. They’ll have experience dealing with the raucous Ford Field crowd.
That’s where the pressure part comes in. The Lions showed resilience and toughness throughout the regular season. Can they handle the weight of overwhelming expectations when adversity strikes in a do-or-die situation?
One thing’s for sure: if they don’t, there will be an enormous letdown and plenty of devastated fans.
