If you just glanced at the 9–8 record for the Detroit Lions this past season, you’d probably think they just hit a mid-tier plateau. You’d be wrong. Honestly, the detroit lions team stats from the 2025-2026 cycle reveal a team that was statistically elite in several categories but got absolutely hammered by the kind of "football luck" that keeps coaches awake at 3:00 AM.
They finished 4th in the NFC North. That sounds bad. But then you look at the scoring offense, which ranked 4th in the entire NFL, and the total yardage, which sat comfortably at 5th. It was a weird, frustrating, and occasionally brilliant year in Motown.
The Jared Goff Renaissance and the 4,500-Yard Club
Jared Goff didn’t just "manage" the game this year. He was a statistical machine. He finished the regular season with 4,564 passing yards, which was good enough for 2nd in the league, trailing only Matthew Stafford.
Think about that for a second.
He threw 34 touchdowns against only 8 interceptions. That 105.5 passer rating isn't a fluke; it's the result of Ben Johnson’s system operating at maximum efficiency. He was completing 68% of his throws. When you're hitting nearly 70% of your passes while averaging 7.9 yards per attempt, you’re playing elite-level football.
The volume was there too. Goff aired it out 578 times. The Lions were 9th in passes per game, averaging about 34 attempts every time they took the field. They weren't just dinking and dunking either. Jameson Williams finally looked like the burner everyone expected, racking up 1,117 yards on just 65 catches. That's a ridiculous 17.2 yards per reception.
Ground and Pound: The Gibbs and Montgomery Dynamic
While the passing game was flashy, the detroit lions team stats regarding the run game remained the heartbeat of the offense. Jahmyr Gibbs officially took the "lead dog" role this year.
💡 You might also like: Huskers vs Michigan State: What Most People Get Wrong About This Big Ten Rivalry
He finished with 1,223 rushing yards. Even better? He added 77 catches for 616 yards. That’s 1,839 yards from scrimmage. He’s basically become what the Panthers hoped Christian McCaffrey would be every single year.
David Montgomery was the perfect "thunder" to that "lightning." He didn't hit the 1,000-yard mark—finishing with 716 yards—but he was the short-yardage king. He punched in 8 rushing touchdowns and remained one of the most reliable pass-blocking backs in the league. Together, they helped the Lions rank 6th in yards per rush (4.6) and 5th in rushing touchdowns per game (1.2).
Why the Defense Struggled (and Where it Succeeded)
Here is where the math starts to get a little depressing if you’re a fan. The Lions' offense was 4th in points scored (28.3 per game), but the defense was 22nd in points allowed (24.3 per game).
It was a classic "bend but don't break" system that ended up breaking a few too many times.
They were actually decent at stopping the pass in terms of efficiency—ranking 6th in defensive passing DVOA. But they were 19th against the run. Opponents realized they could move the chains by simply running into the teeth of the line, which kept Goff off the field.
Defensive Leaders Who Showed Up
- Jack Campbell: The guy was a tackling magnet. He led the team with 176 total tackles (89 solo). That ranked 2nd in the entire NFL.
- Aidan Hutchinson: He remained a nightmare for tackles, finishing with 14.5 sacks. That put him at 4th in the league rankings.
- Kerby Joseph: He led the secondary with 3 interceptions, though the team as a whole struggled to create enough takeaways, ranking 19th in that category.
The real killer was the red zone defense. Opponents scored touchdowns on 59.6% of their trips inside the 20. That's essentially bottom-third territory. You can’t give up six points that often when your offense is working that hard to build a lead.
📖 Related: NFL Fantasy Pick Em: Why Most Fans Lose Money and How to Actually Win
The "One Possession" Curse
You’ve heard the stat before: the NFL is a league of margins. For the 2025 Lions, those margins were razor-thin. They lost five games by a single possession. In those five losses, the combined margin was only 29 points.
If three of those plays go the other way—a dropped pass against Minnesota or a missed assignment against Green Bay—this team is 12–5 and hosting a playoff game. Instead, they finished 9–8 and stayed home.
The kicking game was a bit of a rollercoaster, too. Jake Bates was solid but not perfect, finishing 27-of-34 on field goals (79.4%). In a season defined by close losses, those seven misses loom large.
Detroit Lions Team Stats: What Most People Get Wrong
People see the 9-8 record and assume the "Dan Campbell Magic" wore off. But if you look at the advanced detroit lions team stats, specifically DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average), the Lions were actually much better than their record.
They finished 7th in Total Offense DVOA.
They were 6th in Passing DVOA.
The issue wasn't the talent or the scheme. It was depth. When Sam LaPorta went down (he only played 9 games), the red zone efficiency dipped. When the secondary got hit with injuries mid-season, the defensive passing yards allowed per game climbed from 210 to 238.
👉 See also: Inter Miami vs Toronto: What Really Happened in Their Recent Clashes
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Offseason
Based on the 2025 data, the path forward for Brad Holmes is actually pretty clear. The offense is a finished product; it just needs health. The defense, however, needs a specific kind of help.
First, they need a "run-plugger" in the interior. Ranking 19th in defensive rushing DVOA is the primary reason they lost close games. They couldn't get off the field on 3rd-and-short.
Second, the secondary depth is non-existent. While the starters were okay, the drop-off to the backups led to the Lions ranking 28th in "Penalty Yards per Penalty." Basically, when the backups were in, they were grabbing jerseys and giving up free real estate.
Finally, keep an eye on Jahmyr Gibbs' usage. He had 320 touches this year. That’s a massive load for a back of his size. To keep him effective for a full 17-game 2026 season, the Lions likely need to find a true RB3 to take 5-10% of those carries away from him and Montgomery.
The 2025 season was a statistical anomaly—a top-5 offense paired with a bottom-10 scoring defense and terrible luck in close games. Usually, those things regress to the mean. If the Lions can just fix the "leak" in the run defense, those same 2025 stats suggest a 12 or 13-win season is right around the corner.