Come and Read Between the Lions
Ian's Weekly Thursday NFL Column
Well, that was fun while it lasted, I guess. After going 15-2, sweeping the NFC North, and scoring the fourth-most points in NFL history, the Detroit Lions are officially eliminated from the playoffs following their loss to the Washington Commanders last Saturday. It’s only the second time in NFL history that a team with 15 wins in the regular season failed to win a playoff game, following the 2011 Green Bay Packers. So, after a few days of thinking and recovering, there’s one question on everyone’s mind regarding the future of the Lions: Now What?
We’ve already seen immediate changes in the coaching staff. Detroit’s Offensive Coordinator, Ben Johnson, left the Lions and is now the new head coach of the Chicago Bears. It’s a move frustrating everyone in Detroit, including Lions running back David Montgomery. However, it’s not just Johnson's departure that threatens the Lions' success. Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn appears to be the heir apparent for the New York Jets head coaching job. If you ask me, this seems like a terrible decision because I wouldn’t want anything to do with the Jets. But that’s just me.
Detroit doesn’t have significant roster decisions to make this offseason. They’ll look to announce extensions with Aidan Hutchinson and Jameson Williams sometime this summer. Both are free agents next season. So, with a roster that will look pretty similar to this past year and the loss of both coordination, what will the Lions look like in 2025 and beyond?
The good news is that Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell are the team’s General Manager and Head Coach. Their partnership has been sensational, especially regarding drafting and developing players. It’s why their team has been so successful recently. Their roster-building has been tremendous, putting them in a position to be competitive and win.
And while the roster is talented, part of that has been due to the exceptional coaching. Even with Johnson and Glenn on their way out, there are still solid coaches on the staff. Guys like Mark Brunell (QB Coach), Antwan Randle El (WR Coach), and Dave Fipp (Special Teams coach) have done a fantastic job in their roles with their respective position groups. Now, they’ll be expected to take on more prominent roles with the loss of their coordinators.
Detroit has solved the most significant issues when building a football team. They are tough on the line of scrimmage, both offensively and defensively. Their quarterback, who is the face of the franchise, is coming off a year in which he threw the second-most passing yards in the NFL. Their skill positions (RBs and WRs) complement the offense nicely, while their defense was tied for fourth in interceptions. This makes Saturday’s loss all the more disappointing because they were right there.
I want to sit here and tell you that the Lions will be fine, and everything will be ok. The NFC has plenty of questions heading into next season, and I would be shocked if Detroit isn’t in the playoffs year. They are talented and well-coached enough that they can be elite again.
But there’s a mental block you must overcome when you get punched in the mouth to end the year the way the Lions have. Things were going according to plan in their path to the Super Bowl until that loss to Washington. Now, with six months to sit on that game, they will have time to use that as motivation and revenge against the entire league next season.
While I understand people want to say these are the “Same Old Lions,” that narrative is invalid. Their drafting, coaching, and mentality are different. Everything about this team is contrarian to Detroit teams previously, so I don’t see them folding like they have in the past. I’m confident in the Lions returning to form and dominating once again. Ask them, and they’ll tell you it won’t be easy. But that’s how they’d want it.
The Best CFB 25 Clip I Saw This Week
Someone needs to send this to Kirk Ferentz. Maybe then he’ll understand why Iowa's offense is so bad.
Ian’s In-Flight Entertainment of the Week
Initially, Saturday was supposed to mark the return of Dick Vitale on the headset, as he was going to call Duke-Wake Forest in a highly-anticipated ACC matchup. However, Vitale’s return to broadcasting has been paused due to a fall in his Florida home. He’s 85 years old, so the fact that he’s still trying to make broadcasting appearances is remarkable.
I included the video above of Duke-North Carolina from almost 30 years ago when Vitale was on the call, with Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace playing for the Tar Heels. The sweaters Mike Patrick and him are wearing kick ass. College basketball hasn’t had this kind of aura in a long time. Hopefully, Vitale will get well soon and make at least one more appearance!
Weekly College Football Preview (and Picks!)
I finished 60-30 in my college football picks this season, which is a solid record if I say so myself. The only games between now and the draft are “all-star” games such as the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl. Those aren’t until next week but will feature stars like Dillion Gabriel, Cam Skattebo, Will Howard, and more.
If you’re interested in scouting or player development, attend these events. They're a great place to network and connect with the athletes, coaches, and media personalities attending. I plan on attending and covering the events eventually, although I wish there were more time between games instead of a few days.
There won’t be much buzzworthy college football news between now and the draft at the end of April. The early reviews show this is not a top-heavy draft but a loaded class between picks 1 and 100. There is talent everywhere and plenty of opportunities for the team to fill needs.
The Tennessee Titans have the first overall pick, and I guess that if they don’t trade down, they’ll take Cam Ward, the quarterback from the University of Miami. However, there’s still plenty of time between now and then for things to change. There’s also a chance that Shadeur Sanders will go first overall, but I’m not sure. We will see.
NFL Preview (and Picks!)
I enter this week with a record of 61 -25 after going 3-1 last week. Again, I’m gutted for the Lions and their fans because I genuinely thought they would win the Super Bowl this year. However, they lost and prevented me from going undefeated last week. It is extremely sad from a picking perspective.
Here are my NFL Conference Championship picks this week:
NFC Championship Game: Washington vs. Philadelphia (Sun, 3:00 PM ET)
After Saturday, I did some thinking, and the team Washington reminds me of is the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals. They’re going on a Cinderella run with a young, hotshot quarterback, and while there was always a possibility they would make the Super Bowl, I don’t know that anyone thought they would fall one game short. Kudos to Dan Quinn, Jayden Daniels, and OC Kliff Kingsbury for getting them to this point.
On the other hand, the Eagles tried to blow their win against the Rams but held on to win. They are hosting the NFC Championship for the second time in three years. Saquon Barkley was dominant on Sunday, running for two touchdowns and putting the team on his back. Jalen Hurts threw for under 200 yards once again, but his ability to scramble and get first downs is worth whatever issues he’s having throwing the ball.
I’m late on the Daniels hype train, but I’ll take him and the Commanders to beat Philly on the road on Sunday. I like Washington’s coaches better than Philadelphia’s, and if this game gets into a shootout, I’m going with the quarterback I trust more to make big plays. This is also the first time I’ve seen Washington in the NFC Championship game and potentially the Super Bowl, so it would be cool to see them move on.
Pick: Washington
AFC Championship Game: Buffalo vs. Kansas City (Sun, 6:30 PM ET)
So, we meet again. This will be the fourth meeting between the Bills and Chiefs in the last five postseasons. It’s the third all-time meeting between these two in the AFC Championship, with Buffalo winning in 1993 and Kansas City winning in 2020. In an earlier matchup this season, the Bills beat the Chiefs 30-21, giving KC their first loss after they started 9-0.
I’m taking the Chiefs to win because this is their game to lose. The Chiefs have been the best AFC team all season. They have one of the best quarterbacks all time (albeit in a bit of a down year for him), and they’re playing at Arrowhead. It’s all there for the taking if you’re KC.
But if there’s any team I want Kansas City to lose to, it’s the Bills. Josh Allen is sensational and would probably be considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time if he wasn’t playing simultaneously as Mahomes. Something to keep in mind is that, since 2020, no team has beaten the Chiefs more than the Bills. Buffalo has had four wins against KC (regular season and postseason) over the last four years, double the wins of the next closest team. I’m not saying the Bills will do it Sunday, but if any team can, it’s Buffalo.
Pick: Kansas City