Prior to the 2023 season, the Detroit Lions had been an NFL laughingstock for most of the previous 60 or so years. Now, they’re the belle of the ball. Not only are they winning — their 27 wins over the last two years are the most in the league — but they’ve been doing it in a way that has endeared them to neutral fans. However, that honeymoon phase at the start of this era of competitiveness could be coming to an end in 2025.
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Their division, the NFC North, is only going to get tougher. The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have both built well over the last couple of years. The same goes for the Minnesota Vikings, who could be the best team in the division if J.J. McCarthy develops into a quality starting quarterback. Their 2025 schedule isn’t doing them any favors either. And Mike Florio agrees.
On NBC’s Pro Football Talk, Florio asserted that the Lions’ schedule would lead to a much tougher road to the playoffs. For context, the Lions play those tough division-mates twice each, then they also play arguably the two next-best divisions in the NFC East and the AFC North. And of course, their inter-conference game is against the Kansas City Chiefs. But that’s not all.
“The Lions have little things that could add up and accumulate. And you never know where that thing is gonna be that makes the difference. When it’s time to look at the final schedule and somebody wins on a tie-break or one game or whatever. There’s a lot of things that could go into that,” said the PFT journalist.
“The Lions having seven outdoor games this year, in traditional road game capacity, while one of their rivals has nine road games but only seven, where they have to leave,” Florio added.
The other disadvantage Florio is talking about is that the Lions and the rest of the NFC teams must play nine road games out of 17. However, the Vikings play two “road” games in London and Dublin, meaning they only really have seven road games, since their opponents in those British games will not really be at home, even though technically they’re listed as the home team.
Needless to say, Lions faithful didn’t take Florio’s waffling on why he doesn’t believe in them very well. Apparently, his negativity toward Detroit is nothing new, according to fans.
“Said this exact same thing last year,” one said. “You’re kidding right? They went 15-2 with their entire defense on IR,” chimed in another.
Lol. Florio got slammed by Detroit Fans 😂https://t.co/VfdKzP5pcQ pic.twitter.com/GnaFyZgjaz
— Real War Update (@WarUpdatez2025) May 14, 2025
And it is true that the Lions had a pretty brutal stretch of injuries in December and January last season. However, there’s still something about them that Florio isn’t quite buying. As usual, his co-host, Chris Simms, took the opposite tack on this question.
Simms believes Lions will have no problems in 2025
From Simms’ perspective, there’s no reason for the Lions to worry. They are 6-2 in outdoor games over the last two years, so that argument is out the window. Their 14-3 record in road contests since 2023 is tops in the league over that span, so Florio seems to be grasping at straws.
Simms, however—and he’s certainly not alone in this—has reached a point where he doesn’t “doubt” anything the Lions do anymore, thanks to their leader, Dan Campbell, and the fact that most of their top players are back.
“But I look at them and go wow, they’re definitely one of the most talented teams in football. Yeah, they got a few different guys on the offensive line, but other than that, I feel like the core part of the team is still there. I mean, all the playmakers are still there,” Simms expressed.
Detroit’s top two running backs return, their top five receivers return, their QB returns, their best offensive lineman returns, and their top pass rusher returns. They may have lost both of their coordinators, but the roster looks solid enough to carry any coach who comes in to at least another 11- or 12-win season.
