Heading into the 2025 season, many pundits were expecting the Detroit Lions to take a step back. Detroit lost both its offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, to the Chicago Bears and their defensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn, to the New York Jets. The loss of Johnson was said to be especially problematic as many viewed him as an offensive guru and an indispensable part of the Lions' success.
Following a 15-win season, the Lions' over/under win total was set at 10.5 wins. Additionally, the Lions were the most bet team to miss the playoffs. However, through five games, the Lions haven't missed a beat, posting a 4-1 record. This includes a 52-14 Week 2 pounding of Johnson's Bears.
Undoubtedly, the Lions remain an elite team, and Dan Campbell has proved to be one of the best coaches in the league. Campbell has some of the league's most creative schemes, and he has consistently gotten the most out of his roster during his five-year tenure with the Lions, especially the past three seasons.
The Lions are in a better position to win a Super Bowl this season
In some ways, the Lions maintaining their success shouldn't be all that surprising. They retained most of their core players from an elite and experienced roster. It's easy to say this now, but I always thought the concerns about losing Johnson and Glenn were a bit overblown. However, what is surprising to me is that the Lions have arguably looked better.
Notably, their defense is giving up 44 fewer yards per game, moving up from 20th to 8th in opponents' yards per game. Likewise, their passing defense moved up from the 30th-ranked unit to the 12th. First-year coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has done an excellent job thus far. The Lions pair this with repeating as the league's highest-scoring offense thus far.
Now this doesn't guarantee that the Lions will win 15 games again, and doing so will be challenging despite this hot start. Nevertheless, the Lions could win 12 or 13 games and be better positioned for a deep playoff run, especially with their improvements on defense.
The Lions have improved in all the right places
The Lions are arguably the most complete roster in the league. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery give Jared Goff an elite set of weapons. Goff himself is playing the best football of his career, leading the league in touchdowns (12) and completion rate (75.2). Many people thought he would crumble without Johnson.
They also have one of the league's best offensive lines, headlined by Penei Sewell. Aidan Hutchinson and Jack Campbell make up an elite pass rush while Brian Branch leads a much-improved secondary.
The Lions check all the boxes of a Super Bowl team, and this very well could be their year. Overall, Dan Campbell and company have silenced any concerns people had about the team heading into the season.