What a season it was for Dan Campbell and the Lions. They finished the year 15-2 and got the top seed and bye in the NFC. They were the favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, and it all looked like it would happen until the Commanders and their rookie QB came to town. Here are five reasons why the Lions lost:
Goff Made Too Many Mistakes
The interceptions and fumble cannot happen in big games. At some point, those turnovers come back to haunt you, and they did in this game.
One Too Many Trick Plays
To be fair, trick plays had worked well throughout the game. Of note, there was a reverse to Jameson Williams that went for a TD and a creative inside pitch from Montgomery to Amon Ra that took the Lions into the Red Zone. Facing a 10-point deficit later in the game, with the Lions driving, they decided to call another trick play. It was a curious decision to have WR Jameson Williams throw a pass. It was intercepted, and that was essentially when the Lions began to see the game slip.
Jayden Daniels Is A Future MVP
He doesn’t look like a rookie. The second overall pick from the 2024 plays composed, poised, and MVP-caliber football. As amazing as he is at picking up yards with his legs, he is an incredibly efficient and accurate passer, too.
Austin Ekeler and Zach Ertz Are Clutch
Both guys made big plays in key moments in this game. Ertz is a security blanket for Daniels and scored a big TD, while Ekeler not only had some big runs, but his ability to catch passes out of the backfield was also on display. Ertz also made an amazing play on the Lions onside kick attempt.
Terry McLaurin Is An Elite WR
We saw him have a huge regular season thanks to finally having good QB play and he showed up in a huge way in this game.