Have Lions wasted best Super Bowl chance? How Detroit can still break through despite losing both coordinators

Welcometo“NFL Thoughts,”awide-ranging,in-depthlookatsomeofthetopstorylinesofthe2025season.AfterlookingatapairofrecentNFCcontenderswhohadrough2024seasons(theSanFrancisco49ersandtheDallasCowboys),weturnourattentiontoateamtryingtostayatthetop:theDetroitLions. It’shardtoremember,butattheendofOctober2022—alreadyayear-and-a-halfintoJaredGoff’stenureinDetroit—theLionswere1-5.Aftergoing3-13-1theyearbefore,Detroitwasindirestraits,andGoff’sstrugglessucceedingfaceofthefranchiseMatthewStaffordseemedtospelldoomandgloomforafranchisethathadexperienceddoomandgloomfordecades. That’swhenGoffmetwithcoachsecond-yearDanCampbelland,accordingtoTheAthletic,expectedtobebenched. Whatensuedwasanythingbut.Campbellupliftedhiswoebegonequarterback,whorelaxedandstartedplayingmorefreely:321yards,onetouchdownandnoturnoversinanarrowlossdayslater.Detroitthenwent8-2overitsfi