The Detroit Lions were on the sidelines watching as the 2026 playoffs played out, which was an uncomfortable reality for hardcore fans as well as members of the team and front office.
As painful as missing out has been, the good news is there was plenty of opportunity for reflection. Watching the teams along the way should give the Lions an idea that they aren't as far away as they once appeared to contending to win the big game themselves.
Interestingly, the Seattle Seahawks were the ones to run through the NFC and win the Lombardi Trophy. The way the Seahawks got the job done against their conference foes as well as the New England Patriots gives a good window into what the Lions have to focus on moving forward this offseason.
On offense, the Seahawks were able to control the line of scrimmage with a solid front. They run the ball well with Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker, who was a big play waiting to happen all year. While Seattle has great receivers, they won their playoff games in the trenches, with Walker grinding out yards to control the clock and take pressure off Sam Darnold.
Defensively, Seattle has a front that dominated the Super Bowl. Against the Patriots, they put up an impressive six sacks in the game. They were able to fluster the New England offense and allow them no momentum. Both Byron Murphy and Derick Hall had two sacks a piece, showing the importance of a balanced attack up front.
Thinking about the Lions, it's easy to see how these lessons translate. Arguably, the Lions have the more capable quarterback in Jared Goff. What they must do is build up the offensive front in order to give their own elite running back more opportunity to control the game like Walker did.
Defensively, the Lions need another elite player to rush the passer, and the Seahawks showed that having one dangerous lineman is never enough to strike fear into the opposition. It was only because of a deep attack that Seattle was able to control games on the defensive side.
Brad Holmes seems to realize what Lions must do to re-establish identity
For all those hoping that Holmes understands how to get the Lions to the level of a champion, there is a small silver lining heading toward the offseason. After the 2025 season concluded, Holmes was asked about improving the offensive line and offered pushback on the notion the position has been neglected.
"The offensive line as a whole, it hasn't been ignored. We've drafted in 2021 and then (in) 2022 we didn't, but 2023 we went late. You'd be surprised about the moves that we tried to do that we could not get done that involved offensive linemen, whether that be draft or free agency. But it hasn't been ignored. We tried to do the best we can. I was excited about the youth injection that we did go with. I think it was necessary."
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As it relates to the defense, Holmes was open to the idea of adding more talent, considering some of the holes on the roster that free agency is set to leave.
"I thought the (pass) rush was good, but I understand that (Al-Quadin Muhammad's) a free agent. (Marcus) Davenport's a free agent, so we're definitely going to have to look and replenish opposite of (Aidan) Hutchinson for sure."
Whether the Lions make the right kind of moves to boost each group remains to be seen, but at least the decision maker seems to understand what was obvious during the Super Bowl. Teams win because of strong line play, and that needs to be true for Detroit to reign once again.