The Detroit Lions have found themselves in an increasingly precarious position after a Thanksgiving Day loss that dropped the franchise to 7-5 on the season and firmly out of the playoff picture. In an incredibly crowded NFC, the Lions are now fighting with the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, and Dallas Cowboys for the final two playoff spots in the conference. Something that was made all the more difficult by Sunday's results.
Former Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford let his old franchise down, getting beaten by the Panthers in an ugly performance. While the offense still managed to score 28 in a 31-28 loss, the veteran signal caller turned the ball over three times, including giving up a score that would help push the game out of reach. The final nail proved to be a sack fumble that resulted in an impressive return and allowed the Panthers to run out the rest of the clock.
In a moment when the Lions badly needed to rely on their former franchise quarterback, Stafford didn't live up to expectations. It was a rare bad moment for a veteran who has been getting MVP consideration based on this season's impressive performance. It was simply an inopportune time from Detroit's perspective to implode.
Lions Letdown by Former Franchise Quarterback Matthew Stafford as Playoff Race Continues to Tighten
For the Lions, the path is simple with incredibly important games ahead against the Cowboys, Rams, and Bears. This is still a franchise that very much controls its own destiny, even if that is an uphill battle. There are winnable games ahead as well, with the Steelers and Vikings both on the remaining schedule.
As difficult as it might be right now for Detroit fans who came into the season with understandably lofty expectations, this isn't a team that is out of the Super Bowl race by any means. As we begin December, there is always a team that comes out of nowhere, finishing hot and going on an improbable playoff run.
The Lions had the misfortune of getting in the way of the Washington Commanders, who were last season's version of this. Now, even after Stafford let his old team down, the Lions still have a chance to catch fire at the right time and go on a deep run.
With that said, there is no denying that Stafford could've made this easier and instead picked the worst possible time from Detroit's perspective to play one of his worst games of the season. The quarterback still made impressive throws, but didn't deliver on the most important aspect of playing the position, protecting the football. This made it clear that the franchise cannot rely on getting help but must find a way to right the ship and finish the season out as the version of the team fans were expecting to show up in the 2025 season.