The Detroit Lions will begin their postseason journey during the divisional round of the playoffs next weekend. With the NFC’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage locked up, they have a legit shot at advancing to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
If Detroit does find a way to get there, Dan Campbell’s squad – hampered by a staggering amount of injuries – will have its hands full against the best that the AFC has to offer. Yet, Campbell & Co. still have a realistic chance of making history and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.
Without further ado, here are the four reasons why the Lions might just capture a world championship this season:
Lions’ offense is elite
Ben Johnson’s unit produced a season to remember in 2024.
Equipped with the steady hand of Jared Goff at quarterback and a plethora of weapons, Detroit set franchise records for total net yards (6,962), points (564), touchdowns (70) and point differential (plus-222) during the regular season.
Along with those impressive feats, the Lions tied two NFL records pertaining to points scored: the first being for the most games in a season with at least 20 points (16) and the second being for the most games in a season with at least 40 points (six).
There’s no indication that Detroit’s high-powered offense, with running back David Montgomery set to return from injury, will be any less productive in the postseason, either.
Expect the unit to continue to score points at a frequent rate, propelling the Lions to their very first Super Bowl appearance.
Campbell’s leadership
Campbell is one of the best leaders and motivators in all of professional sports today. He consistently finds a way to get the most out of his players, who will do anything to appease their head coach. They’ve adopted the relentless, never-say-never attitude of Campbell, which helped the Lions win a franchise-best 15 games during the 2024 regular season.
It’s all a part of the winning culture that the fourth-year head man has established in the Motor City, which should aid Detroit on its journey to Super Bowl 59.
Lions are ‘gritty’ bunch
With Campbell’s help, the Lions have become a gritty group that is able to consistently overcome adverse circumstances.
Most notably, Detroit has dealt with the injury bug all season long, including a league-high number of players on injured reserve. Detroit’s defense has been decimated by several notable players being sidelined, including EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, defensive lineman Alim McNeill and most recently, No. 1 cornerback Carlton Davis. Most NFL franchises would have folded as a result of all those injuries. Not the Lions, though.
These Campbell-led Lions are wired differently, and have found a way to absorb the pile-up of injuries and stay on the right track. It’s indicative of the gritty nature of Detroit and the team’s “next man up” mentality. As they did during the regular season, these two attributes should provide Campbell’s squad a leg up on its competition throughout the postseason.
Aaron Glenn’s defensive play-calling
Sure, the Lions aren’t the healthiest bunch on defense or the most stout. They still don’t have much of a consistent pass-rush or a reliable secondary.
However, they fortunately do have Aaron Glenn calling their plays. Time and time again, Glenn did more with less throughout the course of the 2024 regular season. He earned his money and then some, and arguably saved his best play-calling performance for the regular season finale.
He devised a masterful defensive gameplan in Week 18, and limited the Vikings to just nine points (including zero touchdowns).
Even with all the injuries, Glenn’s high-level scheming ability gives the Lions a shot to get one or two key stops a week, which might just be enough to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at season’s end.
