For the first time since 2022, the Detroit Lions will not be playing postseason football — and the sting is hard to ignore. Detroit was officially knocked out of playoff contention on Christmas Day after falling 23–10 to the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. The loss not only ended the Lions’ season but also helped the Green Bay Packers lock up a playoff berth, turning the holiday into a brutal one for Detroit fans.
While the Lions now shift their focus toward the future, it’s impossible to overlook what’s unfolding elsewhere in the NFC North. Both the Packers and the Chicago Bears, led by former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, have secured playoff spots, while Detroit and Minnesota are watching from the sidelines.
Following the loss, head coach Dan Campbell spoke candidly about the disappointment and accountability surrounding the season’s collapse.
“I’m going to evaluate everything,” Campbell said during his postgame press conference. “None of us enjoy sitting at home during the playoffs. When you lose, everyone shares responsibility — myself included.
I always start by looking at what I could’ve done better, especially when it comes to giving Jared Goff and our players more opportunities.”
Campbell didn’t hide his frustration, emphasizing that the effort hasn’t been the issue. Instead, small mistakes have piled up at costly moments, leading to losses the team couldn’t afford.
As difficult as Detroit’s exit has been, watching Johnson thrive with Chicago has only made things more painful. Just one year after leaving the Lions, Johnson has helped guide the Bears to heights Detroit hoped to reach this season.
That sting deepened on Saturday, December 27, when the Bears officially claimed the top spot in the NFC North for the 2025–26 season following Green Bay’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Chicago now sits alone atop the division — a spot Detroit once envisioned for itself.
Seeing Johnson achieve this level of success so quickly with a division rival is tough to swallow.
During his time in Detroit, the Lions’ offense flourished under his leadership, and now he’s replicating — and perhaps surpassing — that success in Chicago.
League Takes Notice of Johnson’s Impact in Chicago
Around the NFL, observers have been quick to recognize how rapidly Johnson has transformed the Bears, especially when compared to Detroit’s late-season decline.
In a December 28 feature, Anthony Miller of Bear Goggles On noted that while Johnson’s hiring was praised, few expected Chicago to make such a dramatic leap in year one.
“From the start of the offseason, it was obvious this team had a new direction,” Miller wrote. He pointed to the aggressive overhaul of the offensive line, highlighting that four starters were added who weren’t with the team the previous season — a move that paid immediate dividends.
Early skepticism surrounded the Bears after an 0–2 start, with many predicting another forgettable year. Instead, Chicago caught fire, winning 11 of its final 13 games to secure its first playoff appearance in five years and its first division title in seven.
The Lions, meanwhile, clearly have the talent to compete deep into the postseason. Unfortunately, execution and timing didn’t align when it mattered most. As Detroit closes the book on this campaign, attention now turns toward regrouping and preparing for the 2026–27 season — hoping for a very different ending next time.
