Key Stats in Detroit Lions 2025 Losses

What stats reveal Lions' shortcomings in 2025?

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (33) carries the ball against the Detroit Lions. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions struggled with consistency throughout the 2025 season, and have been eliminated from postseason contention ahead of their regular season finale.

Though there is still one game left and a chance to finish with a winning record, the Lions will not have a seat at the postseason table for the first time since 2022. As a result, there will be plenty of evaluation done by the staff in search of improvements for a team that will be looking to get back on track in 2026.

Here are three trends that emerged in games the Lions lost throughout the 2025 season ahead of their finale against the Chicago Bears.

Run game woes

As mentioned in Monday's installment of this series, the Lions have lost one game in which Jahmyr Gibbs scored a touchdown, and there are stark splits as to how he's performed in wins versus losses. However, the offense's struggles when the run game is slowed are multi-faceted.

For starters, the Lions are undefeated this year in games where they've averaged five yards per carry or more on the ground. Detroit is 6-0 in such games, with the most recent instance being against Dallas in Week 14.

Furthermore, the Lions have been held to 4.0 yards per carry or less in nine games this year, and have won just two of those games. This stat is one of the most indicative of their recent struggles as well, as the three of the Lions' six-worst performances on the ground this year have come in the last three weeks.

This stat isn't just on the running backs, though, as the Lions' offensive line also struggled to protect Jared Goff at times. Detroit was 5-2 in games where Goff was sacked one or fewer times, and 3-6 in games where he was sacked two or more times.

Conversion inconsistency

One of the biggest Achilles' heels for the Lions' offense this season was its inability to consistently convert on third-down throughout the season. After being one of the league's most efficient in this area in recent years, the Lions ranked in the bottom half of the league in third-down conversions this season.

It was difficult for them across the board, but there was a slight increase in percentages for the team in games they've won versus losses. In wins, the Lions converted 39.3 percent of their third-downs, while in losses they converted 37.5 percent.

More than this though is the overall increase in volume when it comes to overall third-downs. Detroit has faced 89 total third-downs in their eight wins, while they've faced 112 in their eight losses.

Fourth-downs have also been telling for Detroit, as they've converted 6-of-9 fourth-downs in wins and 11-of-22 fourth-downs in losses. These numbers are slightly altered by a string of seven straight failed conversions between losses to Philadelphia and Green Bay.

Defensive drop-off

The Lions began the year as one of the toughest run defenses, allowing just two teams to rush for over 100 yards in the first seven weeks of the season. However, as injuries have mounted, things have become very dire for their run defense.

Since Week 10, the Lions have held just one opposing offense under 100 yards, and haven't held any of their last three opponents under 150. It has been a disheartening development for a team that had success shutting opponents down on the ground earlier in the year.

Detroit is 6-1 this year in games where they hold opponents under 100 rushing yards, but just 2-7 in games where their opponent surpasses the century mark.