Roundtable: Do Detroit Lions Have Realistic Shot to Beat Rams?

1.) What was your reaction to Brian Branch being lost for the season?

Christian Booher: The loss of Brian Branch is a brutal one for Detroit’s defense. Because of the timing and severity of the injury, there’s a chance he misses time next year and that would be a big loss for the Lions. Branch is one of the most versatile defenders in the league at his best, and will not be easily replaced.

Detroit does have some depth to account for this loss, though, and will likely turn to Avonte Maddox for contributions in the immediate future. I’m interested to see how they address this in the coming weeks, whether it be an elevation of one of their two practice squad additions or an external move.

Vito Chirco: I believe it's a catastrophic blow to the Lions’ secondary and defense as a whole. This is only compounded by the fact that fellow starting safety Kerby Joseph has missed the team's last six games with a knee injury. Even if Joseph returns before season's end, Detroit's secondary will be far less productive without the services of Branch.

2.) How did the Lions rebound against the Dallas Cowboys?

Booher: I thought the Lions looked much cleaner offensively and played with a renewed spark. It was clear that they understood the magnitude of the game, and played at a high level of intensity for most of the night.

I was also impressed by the vigor of the pass-rush in Thursday’s game, as Al-Quadin Muhammad stepped up in a big way. Thursday’s game was a reminder of how the Lions can be one of the best teams in the NFC at their best, and can score with anyone when the offense is humming.

Chirco: I think it comes down to the fact that the Lions’ star players performed like stars. From Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, each of them made big plays in Detroit's win over Dallas Thursday night.

Additionally, the Lions got after the quarterback (five sacks), and came away with three takeaways. Defensively, Detroit was also significantly aided by the dominant, 12-tackle performance of linebacker Jack Campbell. Campbell was yet another one of the Lions’ stars that came through in a big way against the Cowboys.

3.) Do the Lions have a chance against the Rams?

Booher: The Lions absolutely have a chance against the Rams. I view the Rams as the favorites in the NFC at this point, and it won’t be an easy trip out to SoFi Stadium especially with how banged up the roster is. However, they have the weapons available particularly on offense to hang with the Rams’ potent offense.

Detroit will need to pressure Matt Stafford to have the best opportunity to win. With their man coverage scheme, it’s really important that Detroit’s pass-rush makes life easier for a banged up secondary by getting heat on the veteran quarterback.

Chirco: I think they certainly do. Just take a look at what the Panthers – an inferior team to the Lions – did last week against the Rams. They scored 31 points on a defense that had allowed north of 30 points just once through the first 12 weeks of the season. It helped Carolina pull off the upset victory, and it makes me think that Detroit can do the same in its Week 15 matchup with Matthew Stafford and the Rams.

4.) Do you think the Lions make the playoffs this season?

Booher: I think the Lions need to go at least 3-1 in their final four games to have the best shot at making the playoffs. With games against the Rams, Steelers, Vikings and Bears, it won’t be an easy stretch. However, they have the arsenal to get into a groove and win out.

They can help themselves greatly with the remaining games they have on the schedule. The Rams and Bears are two NFC opponents ahead of them in the standings, and if either team picks up another loss then the Lions could pass them in the standings with a win over them. Overall, I think Detroit has a solid chance at making the playoffs.

Chirco: Even after beating the Cowboys, I still doubt that they will. I believe the Lions will go 2-2 in their final four games and finish the season at 10-7. Although that would hardly be a lackluster campaign, I don't think it'll be good enough for Dan Campbell's squad to clinch a playoff berth in 2025.

5.) Are you concerned about Kerby Joseph and his lingering knee injury?

Booher: It’s hard to not be concerned about Kerby Joseph’s knee injury at this point. There have been social media posts about the potential for long-term lingering damage stemming from the injury, and that in itself is scary for a player who was a First Team All-Pro last year.

While Joseph can still be productive even with a nagging ailment, the fact that it seemingly hasn’t gotten better over the course of nearly two full months is concerning. There are rumblings that he could get back on the field soon, but it will be interesting to see how he looks upon returning as the Lions chase a postseason berth.

Chirco: I definitely am. From all accounts, there is still a significant amount of uncertainty about how severe the knee injury is and how much it could linger and affect Joseph in future seasons. That should be very alarming to the Lions, which have relied upon Joseph's opportunistic ways in the back-end of the secondary since he entered the league in 2022. And as has already been proven this season, the secondary is not nearly as strong without him in the lineup.

More from Lions OnSI