The Detroit Lions played a meaningless game against the Chicago Bears on the road, but a contest that seems to have nothing on the line has proven to be significant for the franchise before.
While there might not be much to be gained by going 9-8, the confidence boost from finishing the season on a high cannot be overstated. The Lions know all too well the importance of putting their best foot forward with nothing on the line in terms of setting the tone for the following season.
Back in 2022, the Lions were in a similar scenario. After a 1-6 start, Detroit rallied to an 8-8 record before a meaningless season finale against the Green Bay Packers. That exhilarating road win helped eliminate the Packers from the playoffs, and set the tone for the forthcoming domination the team would show.
Fast forward to 2025. After a season in which nothing went right in terms of health and consistency, the Lions sat at a familiar 8-8 mark with a road trip coming to another NFC North foe in the Chicago Bears. While Detroit didn't eliminate Chicago with their 19-16 win in the new year, they did send them into the playoffs on a two game losing streak with some lingering doubts.
The Lions will head into next season with critical questions to answer, but with a feeling of momentum that is hard to duplicate. There is no substitute for winning, especially in the last game of the year. Detroit will get to play a last place schedule by virtue of their 9-8 finish, which could be significant assuming they can capitalize with a solid offseason.
Give the Lions full marks for not packing it in and showing up in the season finale. Their effort and ability to close showed why 2026 could be a much better year than 2025 turned out to be.
Dan Campbell believes Lions are now driven to improve in 2026
Detroit's head coach has seen a little bit of everything during his five year run with the team. While the finish this year didn't meet anyone's expectations, he believes there is always a reason to feel good when a season concludes on a high note.
"I believe that things happen for a reason. Right, wrong, or indifferent. When something like this happens, I believe it's going to be for the best. It's up to Brad (Holmes) and I to make it for the best, and the guys that we know we're going to count on that are on this team."
Already, Campbell sees some of the ingredients for a turnaround next season in Detroit due to the way his team responded during a tough week with little on the line but pride.
"As good as it felt to get that (win), let's call it what it is. (We were) pretty pissed all week, and it's a bad feeling. Now we're going into the playoffs and you get to watch everybody else go while you're sitting at home. It's frustrating. So that's what fuels you. We don't want to be doing that again next year. That's not where we want to be."
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The key for the Lions is to channel that feeling of frustration into the offseason. Their front office needs to feel urgency to make big moves to help nudge their Super Bowl window closer to completion. The players need to have the hunger that drove them this week through the offseason as they train and get ready for a new year.
Next season, the Lions aren't going to be the toast of the NFL as they have been previously. They won't be on many short lists as a Super Bowl contender. National analysts won't fall over backward lauding them. Perhaps that's a good thing. They can get back to the grimy style of football that has driven their turnaround in the first place.
Going back to their tough roots and scoring an improbable win in a season finale can help them tap back into the magic potion they once had.