Man, what a ride. If you've been tracking nfl scores detroit lions fans have been refreshing all winter, you know the vibe in the Motor City is... complicated. One minute you're planning a parade down Woodward, and the next you're staring at a Week 18 win that feels more like a "consolation prize" than a celebration.
The Lions wrapped up their 2025 campaign with a 19-16 nail-biter over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. It was classic Dan Campbell football: gritty, high-stress, and decided by a Jake Bates kick as the clock hit zero. But here’s the kicker—literally and figuratively. Despite finishing with a 9-8 winning record, the Lions are officially on the outside looking in for the playoffs.
The final nfl scores detroit lions fans need to see
Honestly, looking at the full season slate is like looking at a heart monitor. The highs were sky-high (dropping 52 points on Chicago back in September), and the lows were "stare at the wall in silence" bad.
Take a look at how the back half of the year shook out:
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- Week 14: Detroit 44, Dallas 30 (The peak of the season, let's be real).
- Week 15: L.A. Rams 41, Detroit 34 (A shootout that broke the defense).
- Week 16: Pittsburgh 29, Detroit 24 (The game we should've won).
- Week 17: Minnesota 23, Detroit 10 (The night the playoff light went out).
- Week 18: Detroit 19, Chicago 16 (Ending on a high note, I guess?).
That 9-8 record marks four straight winning seasons for Detroit. That’s historic for this franchise. But coming off a year where Super Bowl expectations were the floor, sitting at home in January feels like a gut punch. They finished 4th in the NFC North, which sounds way worse than it is considering every team in the division stayed competitive until the very end.
Why the 9-8 record is deceptive
Stats can lie to you. If you just saw the nfl scores detroit lions put up this year, you’d think the offense was an absolute juggernaut. And it was. Jared Goff threw for over 4,500 yards and 34 touchdowns. Amon-Ra St. Brown was doing Amon-Ra things—106 catches, 1,262 yards.
But the defense? That's where the wheels came off.
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You can't lose five games by a single possession and expect to make the dance. The secondary was decimated by injuries. Even with Aidan Hutchinson and Jack Campbell playing like All-Pros, there just wasn't enough depth. When the Lions lost, they lost in ways that felt like a slow-motion car crash—just a few plays away from a totally different outcome.
The Jake Bates factor
Let’s talk about the bright spots. Jake Bates is a weapon. In that final game against Chicago, the Lions actually blew a 16-point lead. Caleb Williams (who apparently decided to become a franchise legend that afternoon) led a furious fourth-quarter comeback for the Bears.
The Lions started their final drive at their own 37 with almost no time left. Goff found St. Brown for 26 yards—a play that basically saved the game—and Bates stepped up to nail a 42-yarder. It’s kinda poetic that a season defined by close calls ended with a kick that actually went our way.
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What happens next?
Now that the dust has settled, the focus shifts to the 2026 draft. Detroit is sitting with the No. 17 pick. Dan Campbell has already promised a "deep dive" into why the team fell short of expectations.
The 2026 schedule is already out, and it’s a gauntlet. We’re talking home games against the Patriots, Jets, and Buccaneers. If the Lions want to turn those winning scores into playoff appearances, the defense has to be the top priority in the off-season.
Actionable next steps for Lions fans:
- Monitor the injury report: Keep an eye on Sam LaPorta’s recovery heading into the spring; his late-season health was a major missing piece.
- Draft Watch: Focus on cornerback prospects in the middle of the first round. The Lions need a lockdown defender to compliment the pass rush.
- Free Agency: Watch for moves in the secondary. The team has cap space, and the coordinator turnover suggests a schematic shift is coming.
The 2025 season might be over, but the window isn't closed. It's just a lot narrower than we thought it would be.