The Detroit Lions' 2025 season has failed after an upset loss to the Minnesota Vikings eliminated the franchise from playoff contention. What makes this loss all the more painful is the fact that the Green Bay Packers dropped a Week 17 game to the Baltimore Ravens in a game that would've given the Lions a chance to sneak into the playoffs in the season's final week. However, there is an argument to be made that missing the playoffs is exactly what Detroit needed to invite meaningful offseason change.
Head coach Dan Campbell is obviously of this same mindset, with Detroit News' Nolan Bianichi reporting Campbell's comments, with the coach offering: "Brad and I will have a lot of decisions to make." This is obviously referencing GM Brad Holmes, who needs to help Campbell make a difficult decision, parting ways with both of Detroit's coordinators. John Morton shouldn't be calling plays, and Campbell didn't fare much better. This leaves the franchise no choice but to fire Morton and bring in a play caller capable of utilizing an all-star cast.
No better example of Detroit's frustration can be pointed to than the fact that in a must-win game with its playoff fate on the line, the Lions could only muster 10 points. Morton must go, and in his place, the franchise needs a replacement capable of calling plays and taking the role back from Campbell.
Lions' First Offseason Move Must Be Parting Ways with Underachieving Coordinators
This brings us to defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, who oversaw a defense that allowed 93 points over a three-game losing streak, bringing Detroit's playoff hopes to an end. Yes, there is no shortage of injuries to blame, but this level of performance cannot simply be ignored due to injuries. Sheppard isn't getting the job done and clearly didn't have the needed adjustments or answers when Jared Goff gave the Lions a chance in both Week 15 and 16.
While the Lions' run game struggled, the offense still scored 24 and 34 points in back-to-back weeks and couldn't rely on the defense for one clutch stop. This paints a clear picture of why the Lions must make a change and part ways with both coordinators after Campbell's warning ahead of the season's final week.
If the Lions are serious about keeping their window of contention open, Campbell must mean these words and be willing to make difficult decisions. This means parting ways with two coordinators who were set up for failure, attempting to replace two current head coaches, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn.
Managing to fall far below these standards isn't a shock; what is surprising is just how far each unit has fallen. Demanding that Detroit make early-offseason changes and give themselves a chance to make this an outlier of a season and not a sign of things to come.