The Detroit Lions were in a must-win spot — and what followed was one of the most brutal reality checks of the Dan Campbell era.

This wasn’t about effort. This wasn’t about “bad luck.” And it damn sure wasn’t about Jared Goff.

In this postgame breakdown, JC Sports Detroit cuts through the noise and lays out exactly why this Lions season collapsed — from catastrophic injuries in the secondary, to rookie coordinators in a Super Bowl window, to an interior offensive line that simply wasn’t ready.

The Detroit Lions take on the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day with everything on the line.

In this episode of the Detroit Lions News Podcast, we break down why this game matters more than it looks on paper. With Max Brosmer starting at quarterback for Minnesota, key Vikings injuries mounting, and Detroit still clinging to a faint playoff chance, this is a game the Lions must win.

We dive into:

• Lions vs Vikings betting lines and predictions

• Why Detroit gave away the first matchup

• How Max Brosmer changes the game

• Key offensive and defensive advantages

• Pressure rates, red-zone matchups, and blitz tendencies

• What Detroit must do to keep playoff hope alive

• Why this game could define Dan Campbell’s coaching future

The Lions are favored. The matchup favors Detroit. But after what happened last time… nothing is guaranteed.

🎄 Christmas Day football. 🦁 One last push. 🙏 A hope and a prayer.

The Detroit Lions’ season effectively ended with a 29–24 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and no amount of ref talk can hide the truth.

This wasn’t about one penalty. This wasn’t about bad luck. This was about a defense that got physically dominated when everything was on the line.

The Lions surrendered 230 rushing yards at 8.5 yards per carry, failed to adjust, and showed zero evidence they were ready for playoff football. Coaching decisions, schematic stubbornness, and refusal to own reality cost this team their season.

In this episode of Detroit Lions News Podcast, we break down:

• Why the run defense collapse was unacceptable

• Why excuses about “3–4 plays” don’t survive film or stats

• Why coaching accountability starts right now

• How injuries exposed philosophy flaws

• Why this team didn’t prove they belong in the playoffs

This was a playoff-type game — and the Lions played like a team already done.