Coming into the season, this Detroit Lions team felt different. Brad Holmes did an amazing job building the roster, it finally felt everything was going to plan. We added some impact free agents, drafted well, and even made a few good trades to upgrade the roster.

Everything was going well, until the harrowing evening of October 13th.

The Lions were headed to Dallas to take on the cowboys, a bitter rival. The Cowboys had beaten us last season on a controversial call, so the Lions were hungry for a win. They were doing just that, dominating the Cowboys throughout the game. But, on a play early in the 3rd quarter, with the Lions up 34-6, Hutchinson was on his way to another sack. As he wrapped his arms around Dak, he collided with a teammates leg, and Hutchinson’s leg snapped. He was on his way to the Defensive Player Of The Year award and an All-Pro nod. Lions fans everywhere could not believe what they were watching. A few games prior, we lost new Defensive End Marcus Davenport for the year to a torn triceps. We already started the season down a few players, but Hutch was one we couldn’t lose. It felt like right then and there, the season was over.

However, the Lions bounced back, winning the next 8 games. The wins did not come without issues. Alex Anzalone, Kyle Peko, Mekhi Wingo, Derrick Barnes, Khalif Raymond and Malcolm Rodriguez were all lost for at least the rest of the regular season. We lost DJ Reader for a few games, as well as other defensive linemen Josh Paschal and Levi Onwuzurike. The defense was being decimated by injuries, also missing Carlton Davis and Terrion Arnold at times throughout that process. We already had Iffy Melifonwu, Broderic Martin, and John Cominsky sidelined to start the year. But still, the Lions were sitting at 12-1, and it felt like the injuries didn’t matter… until Buffalo came to town.

The game was highly regarded as the NFL’s best game of the week. Best of the AFC against the best of the NFC. Some heralded it as a Super Bowl preview. However, the Lions started very slow, and it only got worse before it got better. This match-up may have been the straw that broke the camels back for Detroit. The Lions lost star Defensive Tackle Alim McNeill to a torn ACL, David Montgomery to an MCL, Khalil Dorsey to a broken ankle, and Carlton Davis to a broken jaw, all while getting beat down by Buffalo. I wouldn’t even call this bad luck, it seems a curse is the more fitting term.

Not only were they decimated by injuries, they were decimated by Buffalo. Well, Josh Allen specifically. The defense looked worse than it had all season, and that was before McNeill and Davis were injured. Still, the Lions stayed in the game, bringing it within one score in the 4th quarter. But it was too little, too late, and the Bills took the win 48-42. The Lions 11 game win streak was snapped, and they lost two huge impact defenders.

Lions fans understand this feeling, or so you’d think. Lions Twitter was in flames. Packers, Vikings, and Bears fans came to attack, and Lions fans were already emotional. You can probably guess how that went. (It was bad).

With all of that said, I still believe the Lions could make a push. Carlton Davis, Iffy Melifonwu, John Cominsky, and Alex Anzalone should all be back for the playoffs, or at some point during. David Montgomery has still not been added to the Injured Reserve, which means the Lions may be holding out hope on his return as well. Reports are he is looking for a second opinion, as he doesn’t want to shut it down for the season. Obviously, we are still down a lot of impact players. But, I am not ready to pack it in. We just played one of the best teams in the NFL, with the likely MVP on their side, and only lost by 1 score. The Lions will need a miracle, but I wouldn’t count it out this holiday season.

We will need an absolute clinic by this coaching staff if we want to make any noise in the playoffs. Not only do they need to coach well, they need to find the right guys off the street who can play well in our scheme. Holmes has his hardest task yet, building an NFL defense with players no other team wants. Either way, lets stay optimistic. Injuries suck, but it’s a part of a sport that is as physical and violent as football.

Now, lets talk about what this team will look like going forward.

As you can see, there’s a lot of “IR” on this depth chart. However, the Lions still have a decent defense. In my opinion, it is not much worse than the defense we had last season, where we were one half away from the Super Bowl.

Realistically, Linebacker is the position that is the thinnest. We will get Anzalone back, and could see Jalen Reeves-Maybin back soon as well. The Lions also recently brought in some NFL veterans, Kwon Alexander, Jamal Adams, and David Long Jr. They also brought back Anthony Pittman, who spent the first 4 years of his career in Detroit. Cornerback and Defensive Line are also thin, but Ennis Rakestraw, John Cominsky, and Broderic Martin all should be back soon.

Look, I know none of these guys are on the level of guys we lost, but that doesn’t mean the season is over. This coaching staff has proved over the last 4 years that they can make the best out of these situations. If we don’t win it all this year, we have almost the same roster for the 2025 season. This is far from over.

Let’s hope we can just stay healthy for the rest of the season, and try to carry some of that into the playoffs as we get players back.

As always, Go Lions. #OnePride.