It’s time for general manager Brad Holmes to focus on his offseason priority list now that the Detroit Lions have been eliminated from the postseason. For Holmes, this includes determining his and the team’s strategy for the 2025 NFL Draft, which is scheduled for Green Bay from April 24 to 26. Detroit currently has six draft picks, including the first-round pick at number 28 overall.

It would be prudent for Holmes and company to select an impact defensive player with the previously indicated pick. Don’t get me wrong; in 2024, the Lions’ defensive performance significantly improved.

In terms of points allowed per game, they were placed No. 7 this past season (20.1), down from No. 23 in 2023 (23.2). By no means does this imply that the item is a completed product, though.

If you saw any Lions game in 2024, you would have seen that the team still desperately needs a complementing pass-rush player for EDGE Aidan Hutchinson as well as cornerback assistance.

Detroit must work hard to improve those two areas if it is to advance as a club and eventually win its first Super Bowl in franchise history. Jack Sawyer of Ohio State would be a good target if the Lions choose to use the EDGE strategy in the early selection rounds.

At six feet five and 260 pounds, Sawyer is coming off a very successful senior season in which he helped the Buckeyes win the national championship in the College Football Playoffs and recorded a career-high nine sacks.

In addition, he recorded 16 quarterback hits, 38 total hurries, and a 90.6 overall Pro Football Focus score. He also received an 82.9 run-defense rating and an 89.2 pass-rushing grade from PFF.

Sawyer profiles as a competent pass-rusher and run-stopper at the highest level. He is a high-motor, high-IQ athlete. In addition to being strong enough to collapse the pocket and reach the quarterback as a pass-rusher, he is also physically strong when attacking the run. He would undoubtedly help a Lions squad that finished in the bottom half of the league in 2024 in terms of total sacks (37.0). Sawyer isn’t the most athletic, though, and he lacks a high level of get-off ability when he approaches the edge. His potential to become a high-impact quarterback disruptor at the next level will probably be limited by these two characteristics.

The freezing-cold As the sixth-seeded Commanders punished an error-plagued Lions effort, Daniels tossed two touchdowns and finished with 299 passing yards and no interceptions, leaving Detroit’s Ford Field in shellshocked stillness.

One of the most formidable teams throughout the regular season, the Lions’ explosive offense helped them reach a 15-2 record, leading many to think they were primed to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl.

However, a series of mistakes, including five turnovers, caused Washington to gain insurmountable momentum in an intense slugfest, and their hopes of winning the championship were dashed in spectacular way.

These scores came during a frenzied second-quarter rush in which the two teams combined for an incredible six touchdowns.

With tight end Sam LaPorta catching an incredible one-handed touchdown throw and Jameson Williams sprinting 61 yards into the goal zone following a deft Detroit trick play, the Lions themselves generated two thrilling moments.

When running back Williams threw an interception on a risky Detroit trick play, Washington was able to reclaim possession and score their sixth touchdown of the game, making the score 45-28.

This effectively ended the game. In the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Goff ended a miserable performance by making his third interception to end the game. With a 12-5 record at the end of the season, the Commanders will now travel to play the Philadelphia Eagles or Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship game next week, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

Dan Campbell’s team has won two straight NFC North titles, advanced to the 2023 NFC Championship Game, and finished as the No. 1 seed in the 2024 NFC, making the Detroit Lions one of the most formidable football teams in the past two seasons.

Detroit is still on the rise and will have another offseason to strengthen a roster that doesn’t have many urgent needs, despite their devastating divisional-round loss to the Washington Commanders.

The Lions still have some obvious vulnerabilities, particularly at wide receiver, despite general manager Brad Holmes’ outstanding work turning the team into an NFC powerhouse.

Detroit lacks elite receiver potential and output outside from Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Daniel Alameda of The Wright Way Network believes Detroit will make a blockbuster trade for Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, and the Lions should try to add another playmaker this offseason.

Los Angeles has relied on Kupp as a playmaker ever since he joined the league in 2017. In addition to recording two 1,000-yard seasons, the 31-year-old has amassed over 700 receiving yards in six consecutive seasons.

The best season for the 2017 third-round pick was in 2021, when he had one of the best wide receiver seasons ever.With 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns, Kupp won the triple crown and was named MVP of Super Bowl LVI.

Although Kupp has clearly suffered from injuries in recent years and isn’t the same player he was in 2021, he has nevertheless been a dependable safety net for Matthew Stafford and is a smart route runner who seldom drops passes. It’s unclear if Kupp will stay with the Rams.

The veteran said he intends to play football next season but isn’t sure if he’ll be in Los Angeles following the team’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round.

During the Rams’ season-ending open locker room session, Kupp remarked, “I think I have a lot of good football left in me.” “Next year, I’ll be playing football. I am aware of that. “Who knows what’s going to happen,” Kupp continued. “I have no control over that.

And we’ll see what it turns out to be. What that will look like, or anything like that, is beyond my clarity. I would certainly love to be in Los Angeles, but I’m not sure what that would entail.

The Lions should definitely try to sign the 2021 All-Pro if Kupp is put on the trade market.

Kupp would be an excellent wide receiver three, and the Lions have the means to make a trade with Los Angeles, even though the former Eastern Washington star’s finest days are over.

According to Over the Cap, Detroit is expected to have $57 million in cap space this offseason. With two years remaining on a $80 million contract extension he signed in 2022, Kupp shouldn’t scare Brad Holmes away because Detroit wants to contend for a Super Bowl right now and has plenty of salary space.

The Lions also ought to have enough draft capital to negotiate a deal with the Rams in order to acquire Cooper Kupp and bring him to the Motor City.

The dream season for the Detroit Lions is over.The Lions saved their worst performance of the 2024 season for their most important game of the season, which is their playoff matchup with the Washington Commanders on Saturday night.

Dan Campbell’s team gave up 45 points and committed five turnovers, four of which were caused by Jared Goff. This is the complete antithesis of winning football. Later, the Lions’ season ended in a crushing loss against the Commanders, which was a far earlier departure for Campbell & Co.

For the Lions, who accomplished a number of franchise firsts in 2024, including winning a season-high 15 games and securing the NFC’s top seed and home-field advantage during the playoffs, it was a difficult pill to swallow. Campbell, who was clearly upset after the game, struggled to express how he felt about the unexpected defeat. The fourth-year head coach said, “It’s hard when you lose, and you lose these games, man.

” “It’s similar to what the athletes do. Many people are unaware of their struggles. You must get up, keep your mind focused, and do those things because your body needs to s**t. Thus, the season is long.

Everything was in place for Campbell & Co. to make their first Super Bowl appearance. It seemed like nothing could stop the Lions from creating franchise history, especially with home field and a boisterous Ford Field crowd in their corner.

But the Commanders and the injury bug, which had made an appearance numerous times throughout the regular season, had other ideas for Detroit.

The Lions really lost another key defensive player less than two minutes into the divisional-round playoff game: cornerback Amik Robertson (arm injury).

On the Commanders’ second offensive snap of the evening, Robertson was afflicted.

The veteran defensive back was recording a tackle of Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin when he collided with linebacker Jack Campbell during the play.

Aaron Glenn’s defense suffered greatly on Saturday night when Robertson failed to play another down. McLaurin went on to dominate the Lions’ secondary while Robertson was out, recording four receptions, 87 yards, and a touchdown. Dyami Brown, another Commanders receiver, also put out a good effort, recording a team-high six receptions for 98 yards.

All of it contributed to Dan Quinn’s offense’s outstanding performance, which saw them amass 481 yards and five touchdowns (Washington safety Quan Martin returned an interception for the sixth touchdown).

And without the outstanding play of rookie sensational passer Jayden Daniels, none of it would have been possible. Throughout the evening, Daniels exploited Detroit’s secondary, throwing for 299 yards and two scores on an effective 22-of-31 passing performance. He also contributed a strong 122.9 passer rating and an impressive 91.8 QBR.

Daniels was always given plenty of time to look around the field and go through his progressions, and the Lions never managed to record a single sack of him. Additionally, the dual-threat quarterback managed to go by Lions defenders and create a play with his legs in the few times Detroit was able to generate pressure.

There is little doubt that Glenn’s strategy to contain Daniels, as well as the way his squad carried it out, was a complete failure.

The unit’s undisciplined play also did Glenn no favors. Most egregiously, the defense, while backed up on its own 5-yard line, lined up with 12 men on a crucial fourth-and-2 play early in the fourth quarter. The ensuing penalty put the Commanders on Detroit’s 2-yard line, and two plays later, Washington cashed in on a 1-yard touchdown run by Brian Robinson Jr. It extended the Commanders’ lead to 10, 38-28.

The chance to host another postseason game at Ford Field was not earned by the Detroit Lions. The No.

seed in the NFC took the field in front of a cheering home crowd after a regular season in which Dan Campbell’s club earned 15 victories.

The fans were thrilled to support one of the most well-liked teams in the National Football League.

It’s incredible. For the past three or four games, my wife and I have been downtown. Calvin Johnson, a former wide receiver with the Lions, told FOX 2 Detroit, “We arrived early, especially for these night games, just to be around the people in Detroit.” “We have witnessed the depths to which they have descended. We have now been here for eighteen years.

Therefore, it’s a terrific spot to see where it was and where this team is today. It is infusing Detroit with vitality.

Jayden Daniels, a rookie quarterback who surpassed expectations in his debut season in the league, led the Washington Commanders.

Making every effort to maintain discipline against Daniels was one of Detroit’s defense’s principal objectives.

Detroit’s defense and its ability to achieve its objectives against a developing superstar were severely damaged by another injury, this time to cornerback Amik Robertson. Detroit’s fantastic season ended abruptly due to too many mistakes and a poor effort by Jared Goff.

After 60 minutes of play, Detroit was unable to make it to the NFC Championship Game for the second time in a row. These are some lessons learned from the Lions’ 45–31 defeat at the hands of the Commanders.

The Commanders won the first coin toss, and Detroit’s offense entered the field.

When Jared Goff failed to make contact with Tim Patrick on third down, Detroit’s first offensive drive was thwarted, costing them five yards while rushing the football.

David Montgomery began the game in the backfield and received a standing ovation during pregame introductions.

The Commanders’ offense moved the football on its first possession after swiftly settling into rhythm. Unfortunately for Detroit, after sustaining an elbow injury on the game’s second defensive play, Robertson—who had been commended for his efforts against the Vikings—went straight to the locker room.

When the Commanders tried to prolong their drive on fourth-and-one, Detroit’s defense stood firm.

An early defensive stop gave Detroit’s offensive momentum, which they exploited.

The recipient of the 19-yard reception was Jameson Williams. The drive began with Jahmyr Gibbs in the backfield, who managed to break free for a 15-yard rush.

Gibbs finished with a 1-yard touchdown scamper to cap up a six-play, 71-yard drive. The former first-round pick gained 25 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards on Detroit’s second drive.

Unfortunately, Goff was hit by defensive end Dorance Armstrong and coughed up the football in the red zone.

Linebacker Frankie Luvu retrieved the football. Daniels hit wide receiver Dyami Brown for a 42-yard reception that put the Commanders at the 16-yard line, putting his team in the red zone.

Early in the second quarter, Daniels led the Commanders on their first touchdown drive of the game.

A Brian Robinson touchdown scamper completed an 11-play, 78-yard drive that gave Washington its first lead of the game, 10–7. In the first half, Detroit’s defense was put to the test.

Washington led 17–14 after Terry McLaurin sprinted for a 58-yard touchdown after receiving a Daniels pass.

However, that momentum didn’t last very long. With a drive down the field and a touchdown pass from Daniels to Zach Ertz, Washington increased its lead to ten points. For the last drive of the half, Goff came back into the game, but it ended abruptly when he intercepted the ball and turned it over for the third time. A throw meant for Williams was intercepted in the end zone by Mike Sainristil, who made the pick. With a nearly 6:00 offensive drive that covered 91 yards, Detroit was able to start the second half.

Daniels’ mobility was well-known going into Saturday’s matchup as a decisive element in games. But he made the Lions pay for their defensive failure to contain him. Daniels led the Commanders down the field in 15 plays following the stop on Washington’s first series of the second half and Detroit’s touchdown.

After Detroit was reprimanded for having 12 men on the field, Washington converted two fourth-down attempts, one of which was a Daniels bootleg.

Midway through the third quarter, Detroit reduced the Commanders’ lead to 31-28, spearheaded by St. Brown and Gibbs. Gibbs used an 8-yard sprint to score his second touchdown of the game.

In the end, Brian Robinson’s 1-yard touchdown run allowed the Commanders to increase their lead back to 10 points.

In the hours before their Divisional Round matchup at Ford Field, the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders are rehearsing.

After winning the NFC bye, the Lions enter the game as the favorites, but they are aware that they must perform at their highest level if they hope to defeat the Commanders, who are headed by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Brian Branch, a defensive back with the Lions, described some of the tactics his team will use to try to restrict Daniels.

According to NFL.com writer Kevin Patra, Branch stated, “You have to shrink the pocket.” “In college, I played Jayden Daniels.

He is a superb quarterback. He makes me think of Lamar (Jackson). Just his movements and such, but that seems like the main strategy to me.

Simply making him make those throws by making his pocket smaller.”

For further FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders during the 2024 season, stay tuned to Commander Gameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast.

Daniels is aware that the Lions defense will try to surprise him, but if he can handle the pressure like he has this season, the Commanders will have a chance to pull off the upset.

For further FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders during the 2024 season, stay tuned to Commander game day and the Locked On Commanders podcast.

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Detroit, Michigan In anticipation of the Detroit Lions’ NFL playoff debut on Saturday, a dozen Dan Campbell impersonators have banded together to invigorate the team’s fan base.

Members of the gang, known as the Motor City Dans, are ardent Lions supporters and also resemble the team’s head coach.

The Motor City Dans first met at a Dan Campbell lookalike contest at the HopCat restaurant location on Woodward Avenue in Detroit a little over a month ago.

Jeff Randall of Clinton, who won the contest and is a member of Motor City Dans, claimed that since he started coaching the Lions in 2021, many have told him he looks like Campbell.

Another group member, Jeff Nowosielski of Britton, claimed that after a group of Lions supporters at a Chicago pub called him by the coach’s name, his daughter that he enter the competition. Nowosielski, 53, is a former teacher, and Randall, 55, is a machinist.

One of the driving forces behind the Motor City Dans’s establishment was ESPN.

In order to record a piece for its show “Monday Night Countdown,” the sports network contacted contestants to invite them back to the HopCat location.

After filming the episode, Nowosielski claimed the group “started to blow up,” although at first he assumed ESPN was kidding when it reached out to him. Twelve of the 22 candidates returned, and we exchanged phone numbers, forming a sort of little group, Randall said.

In a recent TV appearance, Randall participated in an arcade punching game alongside former NFL players and sports commentators J.J. Watt, Matt Ryan, James Brown, and Nate Burleson at a pre-game broadcast outside Ford Field prior to the Lions’ game against the Buffalo Bills on December 15.

The Lions’ success this season has astounded the Motor City Dans, and Randall claimed that the players would “run through a brick wall” for Campbell. “The feeling is completely different,” Randall remarked.

“I’ve never seen that in my fifty-five years, and I believe it has really lifted the spirits of the entire state and the entire town of Detroit because they now have something positive to talk about.”

The Motor City Dans are now preparing for Saturday, January 18, at 8 p.m. at Ford Field, when the Lions meet the Washington Commanders in the NFL playoffs.

While Nowosielski claimed to have “lucked out” and obtained tickets to the game via a friend, Randall intends to watch the match from home. “This season has been really cool,” Nowosielski remarked. “It’s such an odd sense of sheer greatness.”

The Detroit Lions will play the Washington Commanders in a primetime fight Saturday night, with the winner advancing on the NFC Championship game.

It’s a chance for Detroit to revenge the loss to the San Francisco 49ers and return to the level they were at the previous season.

These five Lions are worth seeing when they play the Commanders on Saturday night.

Christian Mahogany, OL The 2024 sixth-round pick is expected to start on Saturday for the second time in his career due to the absence of Kevin Zeitler.

In his debut, he made an impression during the team’s victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 16. Getting a chance on this stage will be a tremendous opportunity for Mahogany early in his career.

Since being selected on Day Three of the draft, the Boston College product has advanced significantly.

Due to mono, he missed several games while on the Non-Football Illness list before being activated.

He now has the chance to establish himself as a future part of this offensive line after defeating Kayode Awosika for the backup position.

Za’Darius Smith, DE Jayden Daniels, a rookie quarterback for Washington, is among the league’s finest.

The Lions defense will play a lot of man coverage in the secondary, and the clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year has the ability to get out of the pocket and wreck havoc. Smith’s huge night would be very beneficial to the Lions because Daniels’ mobility is a threat.

He faced the Commanders earlier this season when playing for the Cleveland Browns, meaning he has already faced them this year. He recorded a sack during that game, and if he could consistently put pressure on the quarterback, that would be a huge asset to the Lions defense.

Williams can soar in the postseason after having his first season with 1,000 yards. Before he scored two touchdowns against the 49ers in the NFC Championship game, he had two quiet outings in Detroit’s three postseason games last season.

After a year, Williams has become an even more reliable component of Ben Johnson’s offensive plan. More targets and opportunities have come his way as a result of his demonstration that he can be trusted within the offense.

Look for Williams to find ways to contribute in the short and intermediate passing game because the Commanders will probably try to take away his ability to beat them deep.

The 2024 first-round selection, who was left off of the week’s final injury report, will start his first postseason game. Despite having a foot injury, he participated fully in practice every day this week and appears to be recovering well.

Throughout the game, it will be worthwhile to monitor the condition of that foot.

Throughout his rookie NFL season, Arnold has had highs and lows, with several recent highs.

Saturday night would be a fantastic chance for him to get his first-career interception, which he has yet to obtain.

After missing three Lions games due to a knee injury, Montgomery is expected to make a comeback. The veteran informed reporters that he anticipates playing without any restrictions on Sunday, which bodes well for Detroit’s attack. Jahmyr Gibbs has stepped up and performed at a very high level in his place.

It will therefore be interesting to observe how they diverge in terms of touches. Will Montgomery’s return to the Lions be seamless? Will the number of pitches be counted? In any case, with both running backs being so gifted, the Lions are facing a good challenge.

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