What The Hell Happened To The Detroit Lions?

With last night's loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Detroit Lions were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

They're a far cry from last year's 15-win team or 2023's squad who made the NFC Championship Game, but their Christmas Day elimination at the hands of a Vikings team with a guy named Max Brosmer as their starting QB is a new low for this current version of the Lions.

It has plenty of people sarcastically asking if the "dynasty" in Detroit is dead.

While calling the Lions a "dynasty" is an absurd premise on its face, it is sad to see a team that was becoming one of the big dogs of the NFC wither away into whatever they are now.

What happened to this team?

While many people like to point to the departure of offensive wizard Ben Johnson for Chicago, it's worth noting the team still ranks comfortably in the top five in several offensive categories, including points per game (2nd), points per play (2nd), and red-zone touchdown efficiency (5th).

I've also written extensively about the embarrassment of weapons Detroit has on the offensive side of the ball, with guys like Amon Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Jahmyr Gibbs still having productive seasons.

Many people point to the injuries the Lions have had on defense, losing multiple starters at all three levels of the D for long stretches of the season.

This has contributed to their putrid defensive rankings on the season, most of which rank in the mid-20s, but the Lions weren't exactly a great defensive unit in 2024 outside of stopping the run, and a lot of their statistical rankings on the defensive side of the ball looked similar to this year's unit.

The internet has their own theories, some of which involve blaming St. Brown for doing the Trump dance.

The truth of the matter is that the blame probably lies a little bit on each of the issues I mentioned (well, except for the Trump dance).

Losing Ben Johnson probably stings more than the statistics would mention on offense, while the injuries on defense have started to pile up and might have sapped more morale than anyone is letting on in the organization.

It's also worth noting that the Lions had to play a first-place schedule, a rarity in the Motor City, and one that may have contributed to their rough stretch of play the last month and a half.

Regardless of the reason, it's frustrating to watch a team like Detroit start to fall apart before they even had time to get off the ground.

The Lions have been a fun story these past few years and I truly hope this isn't the end of their run.

I'm rooting for coach Dan Campbell and hope they turn things around in Motown, otherwise we will have to watch the same old teams like the Eagles continue to run the NFC in the interim.

And that sounds mighty boring to me.