It’s not even training camp and the Lions are catching ‘overrated’ labels

The Detroit Lions won 15 games in the 2024 NFL Season. Are they in a good position to replicate that success in 2025?

Winning 15 games despite all of the injuries this team suffered in 2024 was a miracle. However, with how many games they did win, a regression could be on the horizon, especially when you consider they lost both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn to head coaching spots.

Following the 2022 NFL Season, we saw the Philadelphia Eagles lose both Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon to head coaching jobs, and in the following season, Philly struggled and collapsed down the stretch.

Some are giving the Lions that type of label for the 2025 NFL Season, but others are going as far as to call this team overrated...

Are the Detroit Lions overrated?

Here is Mike Jones in The Athletic on the Detroit Lions overrated label:

"Detroit (and Kansas City) posted the best record in the league last season at 15-2, and oddsmakers gave the Lions strong early votes of confidence for Super Bowl contention. But the Lions could take a step back in 2025, and not just because they lost former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to head coaching jobs. The retirement of four-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow and free agency departure of right guard Kevin Zeitler also left huge holes in the heart of an offensive line that last season paved the way for one of the top rushing attacks and enabled quarterback Jared Goff to post the second-best passer rating in the league."

Mike Jones

Jones makes some good points here, as the losses of Johnson and Glenn are huge, but losing two high-end starters along the offensive line could be an even bigger loss. The late retirement of Frank Ragnow was the big shocker, but Kevin Zeitler leaving in free agency really wasn't.

Despite them losing key people on offense, the Lions still do have a top-tier tackle duo, an elite backfield, a top-7 receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown, and players coming back from injury on both sides of the ball. The Lions should be the betting favorite to again win the NFC North, but losing both coordinators could throw a wrench into any deep playoff runs they want to go on.

What we could see in 2025 is the team relying more heavily on their QB, Jared Goff, and Dan Campbell to take that next step and truly lead this team - Goff and Campbell have established themselves as high-end in their respective roles, and it's time for each to prove their worth in 2025.

I would not go as far as to say the Detroit Lions are overrated - they feel fairly rated heading into the 2025 NFL Season. Only time will tell if they can work through the losses of their former coordinators, but if not, that overrated label may end up being 100% accurate.