The Motor City team had a disappointing last season, where they narrowly missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record and heavy injuries to the roster. Now, ahead of the 2026 NFL season, an NFL analyst has raised concerns about the Lions' success.

While painting a probable scenario for the Lions, Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports has presented the worst-case scenario for the Lions, where they are again missing the playoffs for the second time in a row.

“The arrow continues to point in the wrong direction in the Motor City. Jared Goff starts to look like a quarterback entering the latter stages of his career,” Sullivan wrote. “And the hiring of offensive coordinator Drew Petzing doesn't result in any substantial improvements.”

The first case Sullivan highlighted was related to Lions star QB Jared Goff, where he said Goff pivoted towards the end of his career.

Which might be related to any probable injury, reduction in production, age catching up, etc.

Although Goff remained the production machine for the Lions, even though they missed the playoffs.

In the last season, Goff appeared in all 17 games for the Lions, where he threw for 4,564 yards and scored 34 TDs with just eight interceptions.

In the second scenario, he said, what if Drew Petzing also arrives at the same fate as ‌John Morton? What if he cannot show any improvement?

This was more concerning, as before Petzing, it was Morton and Johnson.

Frequent changes make it difficult for the players to adapt to the new coaching style, which results in poor performance.

Based on these two scenarios, he gave the third: what if the Lions again miss the playoffs?

The highlighted scenarios will definitely leave the Lions in limbo, but Sullivan also showed the bright side for the Lions.

NFL analyst sees bright outlook for Dan Campbell and the Lions

Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports has not only highlighted the worst-case scenarios but also the ones that would give hope to head coach Dan Campbell. 

“After a down year in 2025, the Lions get right back into the thick of the Super Bowl conversation.” Sullivan wrote. The secondary returns healthy after an injury-riddled campaign, while the offense hums with Jahmyr Gibbs playing at an Offensive Player of the Year level.”

He predicted that the Lions would correct their 2025 mistakes and restore their path to the playoffs, divisional title, and the Lombardi Trophy. 

Also, the Lions' offense, especially Jahmyr Gibbs, gave his career’s best production and tops the league. 

Although both scenarios are probable events based on analysis, the Motor City team is locked into the divisional title for the third time in four seasons.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker