ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions face a challenging conclusion to the 2025 season, having been eliminated from playoff contention after a Week 17 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings. Coach Dan Campbell expressed disappointment about the team’s performance, stating that their current situation feels like “rock bottom” compared to their previous success as back-to-back NFC North division champions, following a record-breaking 15-win season in 2024.
“Sometimes you’ve got to hit rock bottom before you can work your way back up. And relative to where we were at, this is rock bottom,” Campbell remarked during a practice session. He emphasized that despite the dire outlook, improvements can be made and insists that the team is closer to bouncing back than it may seem.
The Lions will aim to end a three-game losing streak in their final game of the season against the Chicago Bears, coached by Ben Johnson, a former offensive coordinator for Detroit. As the Lions (8-8) prepared for the game in frigid 29-degree weather, the atmosphere around the practice facility remained optimistic.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs conveyed a strong desire to finish the season positively. “Just to go out there and always play to win… Me personally, I don’t want to go out bad. So, I’m going to play my hardest for the team and whatever it takes to win,” he stated.
Detroit faces the possibility of recording its first losing season since Coach Campbell’s inaugural year in 2021, but players remain focused on achieving a winning record. Offensive lineman Taylor Decker noted that despite the disappointing season, the team has the opportunity to finish strong. “While this season hasn’t been what we wanted, winning has become the standard, and we have an opportunity to finish with a winning record,” he said.
Although the upcoming match against the Bears holds no implications for playoff seeding, the Lions are determined to secure a victory to reclaim some respect. Quarterback Jared Goff highlighted the importance of finishing strong, saying, “We want to go out there and put something good on tape and gain a little bit of respect back from probably some of the loss of respect we’ve earned this year.”
With a recent history of success against the Bears, having defeated them three consecutive times, including a 52-21 victory earlier in the season, the Lions are ready to show their resilience and finish the year on a high note.