The 2024-25 Detroit Lions football season has come to an end.
After a franchise-best year, the Motor City NFL team was defeated in the Divisional Round against quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. Despite going 15-2 and having the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, the Lions still fell short of their ultimate goal of a Super Bowl. It’s an ending to the season that no Detroit sports fan wanted, much less the players and coaching staff of the franchise.
Everything seemed stacked to perfection for a Lions Super Bowl: one of the best rushing offenses in the league led by standout running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, an elite passing game with quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and an outstanding coaching staff that had succeeded all year. They wouldn’t even have to play in an outdoor arena all postseason, further contributing to success.
None of that mattered Saturday night when the Commanders took the field.
From the very first possession of the game, Washington had their way with the Lions. They forced a three-and-out on Detroit’s first possession and took a commanding 24-14 lead midway through the second quarter. After a Goff fumble and pick-six, Lions fans were starting to face the prospect of an early exit in the postseason.
Detroit still found ways to get up after some haymakers, such as a 61-yard Jameson Williams touchdown that shot some life into a muted Ford Field. His electric score came when Goff had to leave the game with an injury, and backup Teddy Bridgewater came in. Unfortunately for the Lions, Daniels again found the endzone with a great drive down the field, bringing the game back to a 10-point lead.
With a chance to score right before the half, Goff threw a ball to an open Williams but didn’t get enough under it, resulting in his third turnover of the half. For as many mistakes as the offense made in the half, they still managed to put up 21 points. Instead, it was defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s defense that disappointed, allowing 31 points in the first 30 minutes of action.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s questionable play calling came on full display with a trick-play throw by Williams early in the third quarter. After trading touchdowns with the Commanders on the previous drive to open the half, Johnson elected to call for a trick play to Williams, who launched an errant pass downfield that was intercepted. If you were down 10 points and badly needed to capitalize on a good drive, why would you take the ball out of your quarterback’s hands?
To add insult to injury, Washington would score again after a huge 35-yard rip from running back Austin Ekeler kickstarted their drive. Down 45-28, the Lions were running out of time to pull the game back within reach. The offense manufactured a field goal before the defense forced a missed one, giving Detroit about 2:30 left in the game to get two scores.
A gutsy last effort brought the Lions down to Washington’s 17-yard line, where Goff yet again threw another interception with 30 seconds left. Just like that, the season was over.
Detroit’s defense had no answers for Daniels and the Commanders. The rookie quarterback put on a masterclass, throwing for 299 yards and two touchdowns with 51 rushing yards. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. also inflicted damaging 77 yards and two touchdowns on himself on the ground.
Daniels gashed Glenn’s man passing defense with numerous long throws, including a 58-yard touchdown to Terry McLaurin. The offense produced six plays of 20 or more yards, giving Detroit’s offense no chance to catch up after they surrendered a big lead.
Despite all the disappointment of an early exit, the Detroit Lions had a terrific season despite facing a lot of adversity in terms of injuries to key players. For next year, the team must find suitable replacements for their coordinators if both decide to leave and get healthy in the offseason.
