Before turning an eye to the future, I've been plugging away at my position-by-position "Exit Interview" series, taking a deep dive into advanced metrics, where the Lions got better, areas of needed improvement and long-term outlook of each group: www.detroitfootball.net/t/2025-exit-...

As he suspected with some emotional postgame comments following the season finale, Dan Skipper's injuries are pushing him into retirement. He's planning to quickly transition into coaching and will work with the OL and TEs at the upcoming East/West Shrine game.

Working on a Petzing film study. Watched two games from late '24 to get a sense of what he does with a full deck of talent, the '25 opener, and a mid/late-season game where the roster was decimated by injury, to see how he adjusted to remaining talent. Aiming to write up conclusions early next week.

Five years tomorrow, Dan Campbell was hired. The move was panned. Today, Drew Petzing is being hired as the Lions' OC. The move is being panned. Loudly predicting failure in pro sports is a sturdy limb with low-hanging fruit: www.detroitfootball.net/p/column-hot...

After watching two rounds of playoff football, I have some thoughts pertaining to the Detroit Lions. Nine of them, to be exact. On officiating, injuries, OCs, offseason approaches and comparing cornerbacks. www.detroitfootball.net/p/9-detroit-...

Love that for Prater.

At least in my mentions, there was a harsher reaction to Arthur Smith being in the OC mix than the other candidates. However, since he is in the mix, we break down the candidate, from his background, why he's a fit and why he's not: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...

Adding Arthur Smith to the docket of Detroit OC candidates. Before I dig into that one, I spent the morning constructing an extensive breakdown of Zac Robinson, who is interviewing for the vacancy this week: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...

Podcasting with the fellas tonight. Join me, Colton, Jeff and Burchie as we talk about the OC search and more. www.youtube.com/live/ZZvX8-H...

Lions owner Sheila Hamp's letter to season ticket holders.

I've touted Kafka's candidacy for Detroit's OC job on the podcast for a couple of months now, but now that the team is set to interview the Giants' interim coach, I dug into the pros and cons of the potential hire: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...

Over the weekend, I continued to explore the coaching backgrounds, pros and cons of the OC candidates who have been connected to the Lions. Jake Peetz: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li... Tee Martin: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...

With David Blough set to stay in Washington, this morning's pro and cons post quickly became moot. So I thought I'd push out the next in the series tonight, instead of waiting until the morning. Diving deep on Mike McDaniel: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...

Inspired by an impromptu case I made for David Blough's OC candidacy during yesterday's podcast, I wrote up a pros and cons post this morning, which I'll aim to do for every name tied to Detroit's coordinator search: www.detroitfootball.net/p/lions-oc-c...

Brad Holmes took questions for more than 40 minutes. There was some accountability, but it felt intentionally light on details regarding how the Detroit Lions GM intends to get things back on track. Here's a full recap of the session: www.detroitfootball.net/p/recapping-...

Podcast update, for those who asked. Yes, we're planning to continue running weekly during the offseason. We will probably stick with the Wednesday, 6 p.m. timeslot most weeks. This week, we're going Thursday, at 7 p.m., so that we can talk Holmes' season wrap-up press conference.

You've made it loud and clear: You'd like to hear accountability from Brad Holmes this week. That's fine, but I'm mostly interested in what's next. Here are five topics I'd like to learn more about when the Lions GM talks this week: www.detroitfootball.net/p/fans-are-c...

Started crafting a list late last week, doubled the number of names after tonight's Morton news broke. I dive deep into 15 potential candidates for Detroit's OC vacancy: www.detroitfootball.net/p/exploring-...

John Morton wanted to return to Detroit. He even had aspirations of regaining play-calling duties. Two days after the season, the team decided to go in a different direction, dismissing the offensive coordinator after one season: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...

My schedule got a little turned around with season-ending stuff, but here's my final Three and Out column, on why the finale can't soften the blow of the offseason eval, 5 Lions who need to do more in 2026 and a stab at predicting the playoffs: www.detroitfootball.net/p/three-and-...

From locker room cleanout day in AP. Campbell talks top priority and injury rate, LaPorta discusses rehab timeline, Robertson in wait-and-see mode, Muhammad looking to cash in on 2025, and Glasgow doesn't bite on retirement talk: www.detroitfootball.net/p/locker-roo...

So you're drafting No. 17? Here's a recent history of that draft slot, the greatest players picked there in the Super Bowl era, Detroit's most-recent No. 17 selection and an early look at some prospects who might be there and could help: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...

A lot of emotion out of Detroit's locker room today. A tearful Taylor Decker and Dan Skipper talked about their futures, Chris Hubbard on the meaningful call to start, Barnes thanks Anzalone and Campbell fueled by falling short in 2025. www.detroitfootball.net/p/locker-roo...

A final game story, with a Counting Crows inspired lede. www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...

Also, forgot to share this yesterday. "Thoughts to End the Week" focuses on teammate comments shifting my perceptions of Decker's immediate future, staff evaluations that can't be glossed over, and a personal note of appreciation for Goff: www.detroitfootball.net/p/4-thoughts...

With Detroit's final game on deck, I spent the week talking to players with uncertain futures. One of my top priorities was Kalif Raymond. He's been here for all of the rebuild, and, in some ways, was at the heart. On appreciation and 5 years of borrowed time: www.detroitfootball.net/p/if-this-is...

Sounds like St. Brown's a go. Sewell, looking less likely, but the team is holding out hope. Manu isn't going to be an option as a Sewell replacement.

Brought up to Campbell the 0-7 record in games where they finished under 100 yards rushing. Asked about the priority of fixing that. Not one typically for short answers, Campbell kept it short. "It's everything."

Tate Ratledge came into the league with durability concerns. He's played more offensive snaps than any Lions player, half as many as he played in four years at Georgia. That led to hitting a rookie wall, which he had to learn how to power through: www.detroitfootball.net/p/lions-ratl...

I'm not one to push for benching all the starters, but I do believe there's opportunity to get some underutilized players snaps in the finale. Here's my list of a dozen Detroit Lions I'd like to see get more playing time on Sunday. www.detroitfootball.net/p/a-dozen-de...

The Detroit Lions have nearly 30 pending free agents (unrestricted and restricted who are unlikely to be tagged). I rank them, project what their next contracts might look like, and offer early odds that they're back with the Lions in 2026: www.detroitfootball.net/p/ranking-de...

After the final nail went into the coffin on Christmas, I went through the year and looked at the important events that led to the Detroit Lions' backslide in 2025. www.detroitfootball.net/p/a-complete...

Today's Three and Out column focuses on accusations of poor effort, not getting fooled by this defensive performance and what value the Lions stand to gain by finishing Week 18 with a tough-to-stomach loss in Chicago. www.detroitfootball.net/p/three-and-...

A dismal season hit a new low on Christmas as the typically ball secure Lions coughed it up six times to an injury-riddled Vikings, sending the Lions to the NFC North's basement and fittingly ending the team's faint playoff hopes: www.detroitfootball.net/p/vikings-sa...

A team has won a game 18 times with a -5 or worse turnover margin during the Super Bowl era. The Lions have never won such a game. They have been on the other side, a 31-27 loss to the Bears in 1998.

The five sacks match Goff's worst in a Detroit uniform. His career-worst was seven, in a game against Arizona at the end of his rookie season.

Continuing my "Hidden Figures" series on lesser-known coaches in the Lions organization, meet the son of another former Detroit assistant, on the cusp of a coordinator opportunity after interviewing for four openings last offseason: www.detroitfootball.net/p/hidden-fig...

Detroit's defense was playing winning football through 28 minutes of Sunday's game. Then they had a nightmare series to end the half and never truly recovered. What was going well and what went so wrong in his week's film review: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...

Isaac TeSlaa didn't want to talk about it yesterday. Honestly, he didn't want to talk about it today. The rookie on Sunday's tough loss, his OPI call, his thoughts on his rookie season, how he wants to close it out, and his offseason focus: www.detroitfootball.net/p/lions-wr-i...

In today's Three and Out column, I ponder the key to returning to contention, offer up a staff suggestion after the defensive meltdown, and look at how this game could be pivotal to TeSlaa's development. www.detroitfootball.net/p/three-and-...

Here's what came out of the locker room tonight. On accountability, the wild play at the end of the half, ground game woes, and the strength of the locker room's bond through adversity via the eyes of Christian Mahogany: www.detroitfootball.net/p/locker-roo...

Lions are getting killed on third down, especially when in zone.

League's initial response to Metcalf throw punch caught on the broadcast: "There was no flag on the field, so New York cannot weigh in with regard to a potential disqualification."

Miles Frazier has entered the game at left guard.

Maddox is getting pulled off the field by the spotter. Daneil Thomas in at safety.

Lions Collective podcast, a day delayed, goes live on YouTube at 6 p.m. Join me, Colton, Burchie and Jeff. www.youtube.com/live/wpKw3e-...

Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard opened today by taking accountability for the excessive number of big plays allowed through the air, vowing changes. As for the rough showing against the run in LA, Sheppard denied it was an issue: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...

Lions practice participation for Thursday: Not practicing: Joseph, Glasgow (wasn't on yesterday's practice report) Working with trainers to the side: Cunningham, Wright. Lions have only one IR return remaining for the regular season.

I picked apart the film of Detroit's hot start, fueled by explosive, zone-attacking downfield passing, and what went wrong in the second half vs. the Rams in a second and final film review that puts a bow on the loss out west: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...

Bullied, out-schemed and out-executed. Breaking down the tape from Detroit's defensive performance against Los Angeles: www.detroitfootball.net/p/detroit-li...