If you woke up this morning, Sunday, January 18, 2026, and frantically refreshed your phone to find out the lions score today, you probably noticed something a bit depressing. There isn't one. The Detroit Lions didn't take the field today. While other NFC heavyweights like the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams are clashing at Soldier Field for a spot in the conference championship, Dan Campbell’s squad is already deep into "clean out your locker" mode.
Honestly, it feels weird. After the magic of the last few years, seeing the Lions sidelined during the Divisional Round of the playoffs is a tough pill for the Honolulu Blue faithful to swallow.
What was the lions score today? The reality of the 2025-2026 season
The short answer is that the Detroit Lions did not play a game today. Their season officially wrapped up two weeks ago on January 4, 2026. They ended on a high note, technically speaking, by beating the Chicago Bears 19-16 in Week 18. That win gave them a 9-8 record—their fourth straight winning season—but in a hyper-competitive NFC, nine wins just wasn't enough to punch a ticket to the postseason dance this time around.
It’s a bit of a "good news, bad news" situation. The good news? Detroit is a winning franchise now. The days of 0-16 or perpetual 4-12 basement-dwelling feel like ancient history. The bad news? Expectations have shifted. For a fan base that tasted a deep playoff run recently, a winning record without a playoff berth feels like a failure.
A look back at the final score that mattered
Since there is no lions score today, we have to look back at that final Week 18 thriller against Chicago to understand where this team stands. It was a classic grit-and-gold performance. Jake Bates, who has become an absolute cult hero in Detroit, drilled a 42-yard field goal as time expired to secure the 19-16 victory.
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Jared Goff was Jared Goff—steady, mostly efficient, throwing for 331 yards and a touchdown to Jahmyr Gibbs. But the game also highlighted the inconsistencies that kept Detroit home this January. They went 17 minutes without scoring in the second half, letting Caleb Williams and the Bears claw back into a game that should have been a blowout. That "bend but don't break" energy eventually broke the wrong way over the course of the full 17-game schedule.
Why aren't the Lions playing in the Divisional Round?
The NFC was a gauntlet this year. Look at the teams playing today: the Bears (11-6) and the Rams (5th seed). Even with Detroit beating Chicago in the finale, the Bears had already locked up a higher seed.
Detroit’s path to the playoffs was derailed by a brutal mid-December stretch. Losing three straight to the Rams, Steelers, and Vikings basically turned their postseason hopes into a "math problem" that didn't add up by January. Injuries played a role too. The offensive line, usually the team's greatest strength, was a rotating door of backups by Week 14. You can't run the ball effectively when you're missing two Pro Bowl starters, and Detroit’s identity is built on that physical ground game.
The defensive identity crisis
While we’re talking about why there’s no lions score today, we have to mention the defense. Aidan Hutchinson is a superstar, full stop. But the secondary was a mess for large chunks of the season.
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Amik Robertson, who filled in admirably when D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold went down, recently gave some postgame quotes that sounded like a goodbye. The reality is that GM Brad Holmes has some serious work to do this offseason. The Lions gave up way too many "explosive plays" (NFL speak for getting burned deep) in those critical December losses.
Offseason moves: What happens next for Detroit?
Since the lions score today is nonexistent, the conversation has already shifted to the 2026 NFL Draft and free agency. The locker room clean-out day earlier this week provided some interesting nuggets.
Jameson Williams, who finally had that breakout year everyone was waiting for (65 catches, over 1,100 yards), told reporters he’s hitting the weight room hard. He wants to get stronger to handle the physical press coverage he saw late in the season. That’s the kind of hunger you want to see.
However, the roster is going to look different. There are about 24 unrestricted free agents. Big names like Alex Anzalone and Marcus Davenport might be playing elsewhere in 2026. Anzalone has been the heartbeat of that defense, but with Jack Campbell ascending, the front office has to decide if they want to pay a 31-year-old veteran or use that cap space to fix the secondary.
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Draft priorities for 2026
If you’re looking for a silver lining, the Lions will have a decent draft pick—likely in the middle of the first round. Most experts are Mocking a center or a defensive tackle to Detroit. They need to get younger and cheaper on the interior lines to balance out the massive contracts looming for their core stars.
Actionable insights for Lions fans today
Even though you can't watch the Lions play today, there are a few things you can do to stay plugged into the team's future as the NFL playoffs continue:
- Watch the Rams vs. Bears game: This is a scouting mission. These are the teams the Lions need to leapfrog next year. Pay attention to how Chicago’s offensive line handles the Rams' pass rush—Detroit will need to mirror that level of protection for Goff.
- Track the Free Agent list: Keep an eye on Alex Anzalone and D.J. Reader. If these guys start posting "thank you, Detroit" messages on Instagram, it’s a signal that the team is officially moving in a younger direction.
- Check out Mock Drafts: Now that the Lions' pick is set, the draft experts (like Dane Brugler or Mel Kiper) will start narrowing down who might actually fit in Dan Campbell’s system.
- Monitor the coaching carousel: Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson is always a hot name for head coaching jobs. Whether he stays or goes will be the biggest storyline of the Detroit offseason.
The lions score today might be zero because they aren't playing, but the work for the 2026 season has already begun. This team isn't far off; they just need a few more pieces in the secondary and a bit more luck on the injury front to make sure they're playing on this Sunday next year.