As 26 of the NFL’s 32 teams went to war in Week 8 of the NFL regular season, the Detroit Lions were one of six teams able to kick their feet up and watch the madness from the comfort of the bye.
For Detroit, the season has been great so far, but there is tangible room for improvement and an apparent need for rest as the team battles injuries once again. That said, the bye week — and the extra rest, practice and game planning that comes with it — came at a fantastic time.
The Lions sit at 5-2.
The offense is obviously supremely talented, even if they aren’t hitting on all cylinders.
The Lions are scoring over 30 points per game, Jared Goff leads the league in completion percentage, the running backs seem to take turns dominating games, and the offensive line gels into a more cohesive unit with each game.
That said, the offense has been middle of the pack in the red zone on third down — and horrible on third and long (0-20 with over 10 yards to go) — which is not up to snuff for an offense toting the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery and Jameson Williams.
The Lions’ offense will have to figure out how to stretch the field vertically to reach the high-flying potential fans have seen in recent years.
Detroit’s defense, however, is really coming into its own after years as a liability.
They’ve allowed just 151 points through seven games, ranking 11th in scoring defense, they sit top 10 in total yards allowed and Aidan Hutchinson has a strong case to become the defensive player of the year.
The Lions went into the bye fresh off their best defensive performance of the year: a 24-9 domination over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Like almost all good football does, the success for the Lions’ defense started in the trenches.
The defensive line closed running lanes to hold the Buccaneers to just 41 rushing yards in the game. The defense tacked on four sacks and twenty pressures as well.
Alim McNeill made his season debut after a season-ending ACL tear in 2024, and he made his presence felt immediately with three pressures and a pass deflection on a limited snap count. Most importantly, McNeill consistently generated a push against the offensive line that the Lions had been lacking in his absence.
Hutchinson led the team with 12 pressures, and he recovered a fumble. Tyrus Wheat contributed a sack and a half in just nine snaps.
The linebacker unit continued to prove to be one of the best in the league, if not the very best. Jack Campbell continued his breakout season with eight tackles, a sack, a pass defended and two tackles for loss. Derrick Barnes earned a game ball from coach Dan Campbell for his versatility — he added five tackles, a sack and a pass defended.
The Lions were without starting safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, starting cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and DJ Reed, and the next man up for both positions, Avonte Maddox; the secondary consequently consisted of numerous elevated practice squad players.
The depth pieces stepped up in a big way, earning the moniker “The Legion of Whom.” Amik Robertson, Rock Ya-Sin, Nick Whiteside, Erick Hallett, Arthur Maulet and Thomas Harper gave Baker Mayfield fits, holding the Bucs QB to a passer rating of only 66.1.
While the story of the game was the secondary’s collective play, they racked up their fair share of highlights. Robertson forced a fumble with a well-timed punchout, Maulet ripped a ball out of a Buccaneer’s hands for a spectacular interception and Whiteside had three pass breakups — two of which saved would-be Emeka Egbuka touchdowns.
Whiteside earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 83.9, the best among Lions defenders who played at least 10 snaps.
While the Legion of Whom’s short run was iconic, the band will likely be broken up by the bye week. The two weeks of rest should give starters Branch and Joseph the time needed to get over the hump of the nagging injuries they have dealt with throughout the season. Arnold, another injured starter, could be re-inserted into the lineup as well.
After witnessing such solid performances by Ya-Sin, Whiteside, Hallett, Maulet and Harper, it will be interesting to see how their roles might expand moving forward, especially given Arnold’s struggles thus far.
Whether everybody is ready to go or nobody is, the Lions start the second leg of their race to the playoffs on Sunday, Nov. 2, against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Lions should handle their business against the 3-4 Vikings, but — as fans are reminded each week — anything can happen in the NFL, especially against a formidable divisional opponent. Minnesota’s defense is one of the most well-coached and unique units in the league, but they have struggled to find their legs offensively.
The Lions’ remaining schedule is one of the toughest in the league. Detroit will face a slew of upper-echelon teams including the Eagles, Packers, Steelers and Rams — as well as the Washington Commanders, who eliminated them from the playoffs in 2024.
The Lions also play in a loaded NFC North, which many consider the best division in football.
The Lions might have inherited the toughest road to the playoffs in the league, but their 5-2 start, talented roster and passionate coaching staff leave lots of room for optimism.
Assuming the Lions do make the playoffs, they should arrive battle tested, with plenty of experience against good teams under their belts. Most importantly — they’ll be hungry.