Misery loves company...
The NFL’s favorite stat is the one that’s now been updated to say the league is officially riding a 36-season streak of at least four teams making the playoffs that didn’t qualify the year before.
New England, Jacksonville, Seattle, Chicago and San Francisco are in.
The Chiefs, Commanders and Vikings are out. The Lions, 8-7 and needing to win out while the Packers lose out, could join them on skid row as early as Christmas Day if they lose to the Vikings (7-8) at U.S. Bank Stadium.
So …
What the heck happened in Detroit?
When kickoff arrives on Christmas, it will have been only 354 days since the 14-2 Lions throttled the 14-2 Vikings 31-9 to secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed at Ford Field on Jan. 5. Now Detroit is staring at a 6% chance of making the playoffs, according to Next Gen Stats, and pratfalling past even the Vikings for the NFC’s most disappointing faceplant of 2025. (Let’s give the overall league nod on the disappointment-o-meter to the Chiefs.)
The seeds of disappointment in Detroit were planted shortly after last season ended when coach Dan Campbell lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to head coaching gigs for the Bears and Jets, respectively.
The next two blows were worse. Center Frank Ragnow retired and right guard Kevin Zeitler signed with Tennessee, crushing the soul of a dominant offensive line.
Injuries from last year lingered into this year. Nose tackle Alim McNeill missed six games as he recovered from a torn knee ligament.
Helpful former second-round defensive picks Levi Onwuzurike, Josh Paschal and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. have missed the entire season.
The injuries kept coming. Tight end Sam LaPorta has missed six games. Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch has missed three, while All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph has missed nine.
Cornerback Terrion Arnold has missed seven games. Cornerback D.J. Reed has missed six. DB desperation became a recurring theme.
Unlike last year, when Johnson and the planet’s top-ranked scoring unit carried a beat-up defense into the postseason, this year’s offense has been good, but it has lost a touch of its creativity and most of its tough-guy identity.
Guard Christian Mahogany broke his leg and has missed six games. Tackle Taylor Decker has had a down year. Ragnow tried to unretire but failed his physical.
Needing a victory at home on Dec. 21 against the Steelers to keep their playoff hopes realistic, the Lions ran the ball 12 times for 15 yards in a 29-24 loss.
Quarterback Jared Goff played well, as he has all season, completing 34 of 54 passes for 364 yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 101.2 rating. But the Lions couldn’t control the line of scrimmage or the game like they always did a year ago.
Detroit got Mahogany back for the Steelers game. But, typical of their luck this season, the Lions were without their starting center, Graham Glasgow, and his veteran backup, Trystan Colon. So the Lions started undrafted rookie Kingsley Eguakun at center.
Detroit’s inability to control the game’s tempo with its offensive line helped Pittsburgh’s average-at-best run game pound out 230 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries (8.5).
And, typical of any down year, the breaks aren’t going Detroit’s way. The Lions were flagged for one of the rarest of NFL penalties — offensive pass interference — twice in the final 25 seconds.
First, a 1-yard touchdown pass from Goff to wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was nullified. Then the walk-off winner — a lateral from St. Brown to Goff on fourth-and-goal from the 9 — was waved off.
That dropped the Lions to 5-6 in their past 11 games and 3-4 since Campbell took over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton. Now, Detroit finishes with two NFC North road games at the Vikings and Chicago.
A year ago, the Lions were 6-0 in the division and 8-0 on the road. This year, they are 1-3 in the division, including a home loss to the Vikings, and 3-4 on the road.
But, cheer up, Lions Nation. Ditto, Vikings Nation.
Not making the playoffs this year means your favorite teams now have at least four cracks at helping the NFL stretch its favorite here-yesterday-gone-today-here-again-tomorrow stat to a 37th consecutive season come 2026.
Strib
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
It's telling when you really think about it. Vikings struggled to find a healthy, competent QB all year long. They've had Jared Goff. And they've won ONE more game than we have? Put Jared Goff on this 2025 Vikings team and how many games do we win? Think about that.
MaroonBells wrote:
It's telling when you really think about it. Vikings struggled to find a healthy, competent QB all year long. They've had Jared Goff. And they've won ONE more game than we have? Put Jared Goff on this 2025 Vikings team and how many games do we win? Think about that.
Their OL aint the same, losing LaPorta was huge and they got decimated on D
They'll beat a Brosmer lead Vikings team (good for us at this point) but they lost lots of their bite.
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
MaroonBells wrote:
It's telling when you really think about it. Vikings struggled to find a healthy, competent QB all year long. They've had Jared Goff. And they've won ONE more game than we have? Put Jared Goff on this 2025 Vikings team and how many games do we win? Think about that.
Which is exactly why this year I am getting Dejavu to 2008 and Tarvaris Jackson/Chili..
They fixed the QB problem for one year after that lol!
But what a ride that was - and what PTSD too
Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
purplefaithful wrote:
Which is exactly why this year I am getting Dejavu to 2008 and Tarvaris Jackson/Chili..
They fixed the QB problem for one year after that lol!
But what a ride that was - and what PTSD too
Agree. Like 2009, I think the Vikings are going to be bold in their quest for a QB. What I don't know is if that QB will be brought in as the starter, as competition for JJ, or as the backup. Depends on the QB I guess. But the Vikings absolutely cannot again saddle one of the NFL's best rosters with the kind of QB play we got this year.
MaroonBells wrote:
Agree. Like 2009, I think the Vikings are going to be bold in their quest for a QB. What I don't know is if that QB will be brought in as the starter, as competition for JJ, or as the backup. Depends on the QB I guess. But the Vikings absolutely cannot again saddle one of the NFL's best rosters with the kind of QB play we got this year.
To me, unless I'm getting Joe Burrow, I'm running it back with McCarthy. I have no interest in trading for Mac Jones or someone of that ilk, who may get us to the playoffs, but has no real shot at winning a Super Bowl. Pickings are slim otherwise and anybody else that has a quarterback capable of taking a team to a Super Bowl isn't getting rid of them. Aaron Rodgers will be another year older and that ship has sailed. Let's find out on McCarthy once and for all. If he fails, at least we know definitively and go into a projected very strong quarterback draft in 2027 with a high pick.
MaroonBells wrote:
It's telling when you really think about it. Vikings struggled to find a healthy, competent QB all year long. They've had Jared Goff. And they've won ONE more game than we have? Put Jared Goff on this 2025 Vikings team and how many games do we win? Think about that.
I can go down to the nearest street and stop 3 cars and find someone that could have lead us to more victories.
MaroonBells wrote:
It's telling when you really think about it. Vikings struggled to find a healthy, competent QB all year long. They've had Jared Goff. And they've won ONE more game than we have? Put Jared Goff on this 2025 Vikings team and how many games do we win? Think about that.
As Goff is the ultimate face of "almost" in the NFL (would Allen or Burrow be 2nd? Hmm.), I don't know that he'd change our story that much.
KOC, JJM, Flores...make a good plan, or you'll be following Kwesi....
When Center Frank Ragnow retired unexpectedly , in his prime , after the draft and right guard Kevin Zeitler signed with Tennessee is where and when the lions season was cooked.
That offense has been an unstoppable machine the last 2 years
When teams lose pro bowl / all pro talent it's gonna show up on the field.
A team can't scheme, play call or coach their way out of that level of personnel loss.
supafreak84 wrote:
To me, unless I'm getting Joe Burrow, I'm running it back with McCarthy. I have no interest in trading for Mac Jones or someone of that ilk, who may get us to the playoffs, but has no real shot at winning a Super Bowl. Pickings are slim otherwise and anybody else that has a quarterback capable of taking a team to a Super Bowl isn't getting rid of them. Aaron Rodgers will be another year older and that ship has sailed. Let's find out on McCarthy once and for all. If he fails, at least we know definitively and go into a projected very strong quarterback draft in 2027 with a high pick.
I agree that McCarthy is option 1a and will be given every opportunity to keep his job this summer. Hard to see a Mac Jones trade, though I disagree that a QB capable of taking his team to the playoffs isn't capable of winning a super bowl. I think Malik Willis will be the hot free agent QB and likely get a starting opportunity and the money that goes with it, so I doubt he's an option for us.
The advantage the Vikings have is that their offense and weapons will appeal to free agent QBs like Mariota and Jimmy G just like it did for Aaron Rodgers, who I suspect is going to be a serious candidate for us if he chooses to play again. But can you get him if he has to compete for the starting job? Probably not.
Zanary wrote:
As Goff is the ultimate face of "almost" in the NFL (would Allen or Burrow be 2nd? Hmm.), I don't know that he'd change our story that much.
Really? Wow, I disagree. With our defense and our offensive system and our weapons, I think a QB on Goff's level would've made a big difference for us this year. Think about it: this team has won 4 straight despite some of the worst QB play we've EVER seen. How does a team that has 3 net yards of passing beat the division champs in a game they have to win to stay alive? Same with the Cowboys. The NFL's best offense was playing in a game they had to win to stay alive, at home, and we very nearly shut them down.
2025 Vikings in a nutshell: A very good team in search of a QB.
MaroonBells wrote:
I agree that McCarthy is option 1a and will be given every opportunity to keep his job this summer. Hard to see a Mac Jones trade, though I disagree that a QB capable of taking his team to the playoffs isn't capable of winning a super bowl. I think Malik Willis will be the hot free agent QB and likely get a starting opportunity and the money that goes with it, so I doubt he's an option for us.The advantage the Vikings have is that their offense and weapons will appeal to free agent QBs like Mariota and Jimmy G just like it did for Aaron Rodgers, who I suspect is going to be a serious candidate for us if he chooses to play again. But can you get him if he has to compete for the starting job? Probably not.
I think if the best we could pull is Mariota or Jimmy G, I'd rather just keep Wentz, who is every bit on their level and would already be a year deep into the system.
It's been discussed a lot but if they were serious about bringing in real competition for McCarthy while also acquiring a young player with upside, why wouldn't you take a shot on Will Levis? I know we passed on him twice in the draft and there's some inside connection with him, but he's big, tough, athletic, has a cannon for an arm, and every excuse people have used for McCarthy and the coaching staff falling short in his development, certainly applies to Levis who joined a sinking ship in Tennessee. No quarterback could have been successful on that Titans team. Look how badly Cam Ward has struggled this year amid coaching changes and just a complete void of roster talent. I'd roll the dice on Levis before I'd trade a mid round pick on Mac Jones
I would take Malik Willis if we could get him. I think the competition has to be real instead of fabricated. But I also believe that McCarthy has shown enough to become the franchise QB if he can stay healthy. I would expect him to compete for the NFCN championship next year providing the Vikings can get a good offensive line. Tom Brady almost always had a great offensive line, and truth be told, most great QB's have as well. Vikings QB's didn't and when they finally did play better, JJ played better as well.
Next year will be another year of ups and downs with JJ, and it will be hard to for those with jobs on the line to reload another season with him, so it will be interesting to see what they do.
They definitely need to significantly upgrade their backup QB because there is a good chance he will play given JJ's injury history and failure to perform at times.
I wouldn't keep Brosmer unless they want to put him on the practice squad.
supafreak84 wrote:
I think if the best we could pull is Mariota or Jimmy G, I'd rather just keep Wentz, who is every bit on their level and would already be a year deep into the system.
It's been discussed a lot but if they were serious about bringing in real competition for McCarthy while also acquiring a young player with upside, why wouldn't you take a shot on Will Levis? I know we passed on him twice in the draft and there's some inside connection with him, but he's big, tough, athletic, has a cannon for an arm, and every excuse people have used for McCarthy and the coaching staff falling short in his development, certainly applies to Levis who joined a sinking ship in Tennessee. No quarterback could have been successful on that Titans team. Look how badly Cam Ward has struggled this year amid coaching changes and just a complete void of roster talent. I'd roll the dice on Levis before I'd trade a mid round pick on Mac Jones
They're all distinctly backups, but I think Mariota and Jimmy G are on a slightly higher level than Wentz. Their contracts reflect that as well. I don't hate the idea of bringing back Wentz, but that should be our floor.
I think you want a cerebral, experienced veteran behind McCarthy. I don't think Levis is that guy. He's just a slightly older JJ McCarthy: big arm, hurt a lot and hasn't yet been able to put it all together.
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