The Detroit Lions watched the 2025 season come to an end with Sunday’s Super Bowl, but it’s hard not to look back in reflection after watching the game from home.
The Seattle Seahawks didn’t get a dominant performance from quarterback Sam Darnold, who completed just 19-of-38 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown. Even Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker had a workmanlike effort, gaining 135 yards on 27 carries.
At the end of the day, it was the Seahawks defense that set the tone, sacking Patriots QB Drake Maye six times and forcing two interceptions, including one that was returned 45 yards for a touchdown by Uchenna Nwosu in the fourth quarter.
After watching the Seahawks suffocate the Patriots for four quarters, it had to have resonated with the Lions. It gives them a clear goal going into the offseason and has them asking how they can get their defense on the same level as the Seahawks were on Sunday night.
Lions Must Emulate the Seahawks Defense After Disappointing 2025 Season
Like any team, the Lions should look at what the Seahawks did on defense and how they can replicate it moving forward. While some teams may be a move or two away, the Seahawks made several decisions that propelled them to a championship.
The first was building the foundation through the draft. The Seahawks selected several homegrown starters over the past three classes, including cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, and Coby Bryant, defensive end Derrick Hall, defensive tackle Byron Murphy, and safety Nick Emmanwori. Seattle also complemented this group with the signing of defensive end Demarcus Lawrence and trades for Leonard Williams and Ernest Jones.
The Seahawks also have a masterful playcaller on the defensive end in Mike Macdonald. Before coming to Seattle, Macdonald honed his craft with John Harbaugh’s staff with the Baltimore Ravens, made a one-year appearance as the defensive coordinator for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, and returned to Baltimore to be the defensive coordinator in 2022.
In his four seasons as a defensive playcaller, his teams have been in the top 10 in total yardage allowed and points allowed three times. His defenses also led the league in scoring defense in 2023 with Baltimore and this past season with Seattle, showing a track record of getting the job done.
To Macdonald’s credit, he also has a variety of ways to attack an offense. The Seahawks didn’t have a player with more than seven sacks this season, but 17 different players recorded at least a half-sack. The balance is even more impressive when you consider Murphy, Williams, Nwosu, and Lawrence were the only players with more than six sacks this season.
Turning the attention to the Lions, you can see where things have gone wrong. Detroit has drafted well to lay the foundation for its defense, finding Alim McNeill, Derrick Barnes, Aidan Hutchinson, Kerby Joseph, Jack Campbell, and Brian Branch in the first three years of the Brad Holmes era.
That magic has worn off for several players, including Terrion Arnold, Ennis Rakestraw, Mekhi Wingo, and Tyleik Williams, underperforming out of the past two drafts.
The Lions also made poor decisions after building their foundation. The past two seasons have seen failed investments in Marcus Davenport, D.J. Reed, and Amik Robertson in free agency. The Lions have seemed happy shopping in the bargain bin as opposed to finding a bigger name that is more likely to make an impact.
These decisions impacted the Lions’ balance. While Hutchinson (14.5 sacks) and Al-Quadin Muhammad (11 sacks) led the pass rush, Campbell was the next player up with five sacks. The next defensive lineman was Roy Lopez with two sacks, and the leading trio were the only players with more than five sacks last season.
Personnel was an issue, but so was defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's play-calling.
While head coach Dan Campbell has spoken highly of Sheppard in the past, his first year as a defensive coordinator was a learning experience. Detroit ranked 18th in total yards allowed and 22nd in scoring defense in Sheppard’s first year, and he failed to make adjustments, leaning on former DC Aaron Glenn’s scheme as opposed to putting his own twist on it.
With Sheppard also saying that “he doesn’t envision drastic changes” during his end-of-season press conference, it’s hard to see where Detroit can flip the switch and get on Seattle’s level.
In the end, the Lions must find better personnel and hope that Sheppard learns from his mistakes. The salary cap and overall health are two obstacles to overcome, but something has to change if the Lions want to return to being in the Super Bowl picture.