The Detroit Lions’ season officially came to an end on Christmas Day after a disappointing road loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The 23–10 defeat eliminated Detroit from playoff contention and guaranteed the team would miss the postseason for the first time since 2022. Any remaining hope of January football disappeared with that loss, leaving the Lions to turn their attention toward the offseason.
With the defeat, Detroit dropped to an 8–8 record and extended its losing streak to three games.
Given the talent on the roster, the collapse has raised serious questions, and as is often the case when things unravel, blame is being passed around throughout the organization.
Despite having skilled players, success in the NFL depends heavily on coaching. Some now believe that leadership — particularly on offense — may be at the heart of Detroit’s struggles during the 2025–26 campaign.
Former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has quickly found success after leaving Detroit to become head coach of the Chicago Bears. In his first season, Chicago has surged into the playoffs and sits atop the NFC North, making Detroit’s downturn even harder to ignore.
In a Christmas Day column for SideLion Report, writer Jason Kandel pointed the spotlight squarely at head coach Dan Campbell. According to Kandel, Campbell deserves scrutiny for how the offense has been handled since Johnson’s departure.
After Johnson left, Campbell hired John Morton as offensive coordinator, but by early November, Campbell assumed control of play-calling duties himself. While the move initially seemed effective, it soon became clear that Detroit’s heavy dependence on the run and play-action schemes made the offense predictable. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was able to shut it down with relative ease.
Campbell’s first game calling plays — a dominant 44–22 win over Washington — looked impressive on paper. However, that Commanders team was missing many starters, and the performance may have given a false sense of confidence. Since then, Detroit’s offense has struggled to find consistency.
Kandel pointed out that before the Vikings game, the Lions ranked among the NFL’s top three offenses in both total and passing yards, and quarterback Jared Goff once again surpassed 4,000 passing yards on the season. Against Minnesota, however, Goff was limited to just 197 yards through the air, largely because the running game failed to provide support.
While Goff has faced criticism, Kandel argued that the talent surrounding him should typically be enough to mask his weaknesses. Instead, ineffective offensive play-calling has exposed those flaws once again, contributing to Detroit’s late-season collapse.
After the Christmas loss, Campbell addressed the media and spoke about what lies ahead for the franchise. He stressed the importance of finishing the season with focus, stating that he expects the team to be locked in for their upcoming trip to Chicago.
Campbell also acknowledged that major evaluations are coming.
He explained that he and general manager Brad Holmes will spend time reviewing what went wrong, why it happened, and what needs to change, emphasizing that improvement is no longer optional.
