The Lions’ resurgence under Dan Campbell over the past three seasons has been nothing short of remarkable. After a rocky start in his first year, finishing with just three wins and 13 losses, Detroit has since turned the tide, winning its division in back-to-back seasons and notching 15 victories last year. In 2023, they came within touching distance of their first Super Bowl appearance, falling to the 49ers in the NFC Championship. But they couldn’t quite replicate that run in 2024, bowing out to the Commanders in the divisional round.
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Still, Detroit has consistently been in the mix, thrilling fans with its aggressive, high-octane offensive play. But that’s where the challenge lies. They don’t want to become just another team known for “almost” moments. They want to break through, finish the job, and bring home a championship, especially with the talent they currently have on the roster.
That hunger was echoed by their star running back, David Montgomery, who made it clear: coming close is no longer enough. He declared the 2025 season a “year of reckoning.”
“Everybody’s tired of being close. It’s cool to be close at first, but you don’t want to get comfortable with being close all the time. That’s not what you want to be known for, especially when you know you’ve got the guys you’ve got on this team. You want to finish it, so this is the year for us. The year of the reckoning and the year that we choose that we need to finish.”
Chad Johnson and Shannon Sharpe recently weighed in on David Montgomery’s comments, and Ocho had nothing but praise for the Lions running back. He found Montgomery’s words impressive and said they reflected a winning mindset. Despite Detroit losing two key coaches, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Chad still believes the Lions can be a legitimate force on both sides of the ball.
Why? Because the core remains intact. According to Johnson, it’s the players, not just the play-callers, who bring schemes to life. With a loaded offense featuring Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jared Goff, David Montgomery, and Sam LaPorta, Detroit has all the tools to keep its offensive rhythm going, regardless of any shifts in coaching strategy.
On the defensive side, Ocho believes the return of star pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson will help anchor the unit and keep it competitive. He’s confident the Lions can rack up plenty of wins in the regular season. However, Chad did voice some concern about Detroit’s postseason prospects.
Johnson’s worried about the Lions’ scheme
Johnson stressed that the playoffs are a different beast, where ball security becomes critical, and every possession carries more weight. Regular-season dominance means little if the team can’t protect the football when it matters most.
“I like it. Even with losing Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, you still have the same players. I’m not sure do we take the scheme. One thing about it, when it comes to scheme, when you have certain coaches and scheme changes, and players are still the same, they can still execute the same way. So whoever’s calling the plays, there shouldn’t be any type of backslide from an offensive standpoint. The defense should be good, just as it was last year.”
However, replicating last season’s success won’t be easy for the Lions without Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. Very few teams manage to thrive immediately after losing both their offensive and defensive coordinators.
Consider the New England Patriots as an example. When they lost Charlie Weis, they still won regular-season games under Josh McDaniels, but they fell short in the Super Bowl against the Giants in 2007.
After McDaniels departed, Bill O’Brien stepped in as OC and continued their regular-season success. Yet again, they lost the Super Bowl in 2011. It wasn’t until 2014, when McDaniels returned, that they finally won another Lombardi Trophy. But of course, they had Tom Brady, their ultimate difference-maker.
For Detroit to win, especially in the postseason, Jared Goff will need to raise his game to another level. He has the supporting cast around him to make it happen, but he must become the kind of quarterback who elevates everyone around him, just as Brady did.
Even though the Lions promoted from within and retained coaches familiar with the system, it will still be a challenge to maintain the same level of efficiency and smooth execution.
To replace Ben Johnson, Detroit promoted senior offensive assistant John Morton, who previously served as the Broncos’ pass game coordinator. On the defensive side, they elevated linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to Defensive Coordinator. Both coaches know the system, but stepping into these roles comes with pressure to perform, and quickly.
