The Detroit Lions’ season ended on Saturday night with a heartbreaking 45-31 defeat to the Washington Commanders in the NFC divisional round. A dominant regular season that saw the Lions capture the top seed in the NFC and finish with a franchise-record 15 wins turned into a somber locker room scene as the team faced the harsh reality of NFL playoff elimination.
While struggling to hold back tears, Coach Dan Campbell addressed the media after the loss. His voice cracked as he reflected on the season’s accomplishments, knowing that his team had fallen short when it mattered most.
“It’s hard to look at it,” Campbell said. “We didn’t complement each other. At the end of the day, I didn’t have them ready.”
The Lions’ defeat was especially painful given the history-making performance they had in the game. Detroit became the first team in NFL history to lose a playoff game despite racking up over 300 passing yards and 200 rushing yards. Despite an offensive explosion that saw quarterback Jared Goff throw for 313 yards and running back Jahmyr Gibbs continue to shine with two touchdowns, five turnovers proved too much to overcome.
For Goff, the loss was particularly difficult to process. After throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble, he briefly exited the game in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion after a big hit during a pick-six thrown to Commanders safety Quan Martin. Goff’s struggles were compounded by the injuries that plagued Detroit’s defense, including a broken arm suffered by starting cornerback Amik Robertson, who was forced out of the game early.
“I’m still kind of processing this. I’m going to have some hard nights coming up unfortunately,” Goff said, his voice heavy with emotion. “It’s disappointing. It’s hard. We had everything we wanted. Home field advantage, the fans were incredible, and unfortunately, we just let it slip out of our hands.”
Detroit’s struggles began early in the game, with Campbell describing the start as “odd.” The Lions faced adversity even before the opening whistle, as Robertson’s injury added to a long list of defensive setbacks. Despite the losses and the emotional toll, Campbell refused to use injuries as an excuse, instead focusing on the team’s inability to execute in the high-stakes moments.
“We knew going into this game, man, it was us versus everybody,” Campbell said. “We can’t make the mistakes that we made. We’re going to have to be perfect to overcome these things.”
While Montgomery’s return to the lineup following an MCL injury was a positive sign, his limited contributions of seven carries for 28 yards weren’t enough to spark a much-needed turnaround. Gibbs, however, continued to impress, reaching a remarkable milestone with his 22nd scrimmage touchdown of the season, tying the NFL record for most touchdowns in a season by a player aged 22 or younger.
The loss was a bitter pill to swallow for the Lions, especially considering the franchise’s breakthrough regular season—Detroit led the league in scoring (33.2 points per game), captured the NFC North title for the second consecutive year, and became the first team to win every road game in a season. Yet, for Campbell and his players, the focus was on the sting of playoff elimination.
“It’s hard when you lose, and you lose these games,” Campbell said, fighting back tears. “It’s like the players, what they put into it. A lot of people don’t know what they go through.”
The 2024 season was filled with promise for the Detroit Lions, but the loss to the Washington Commanders is a painful reminder that success in the regular season does not always translate into postseason glory. Now, the team will have to regroup and find a way to learn from their mistakes as they look ahead to next year’s challenge.