It goes without saying that the 2025 season has been a disappointment for the Detroit Lions after being eliminated from playoff contention following a Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Following back-to-back NFC North division titles, and a franchise-best 15-win season in 2024, head coach Dan Campbell likened Detroit's current situation to hitting "rock bottom" after being viewed as early Super Bowl contenders to becoming a non-playoff team.
Adversity brings opportunity and this was an opportunity to make things right. I know that not only was I getting scrutinized, but our head coach was as well. As much respect as I have for him, I had to scratch and claw and find some way to get better. With more time, more reps, more games in general, I got better.
"He looks like he's doing well from that," coach Sean McDermott said Wednesday. Oliver, who has appeared in only three games this season, has been on injured reserve since Oct. 28 and has had surgery for a torn left bicep. He also dealt with an ankle injury early in the season and has three sacks and a forced fumble. "It probably adds a little bit of cloudiness to his return window," McDermott said.
"I thought he did some good things," Gannon said of Harrison. "We moved him around the formation. He scored points for us. He got open, caught it. I don't think he's hit his ceiling and look forward to the future with that."
"Luckily for all of us, he's had experience in similar systems," LaFleur said. "He was with Vegas last year with [Packers senior assistant Luke] Getsy. He's been in Atlanta with Arthur Smith, and Arthur and I have obviously worked together before. So there is some common language, I would say. I know, just talking to him, he was in Minnesota, and I'm sure that Kevin [O'Connell's] got so
It was not the only factor. I'm not the Grinch that Stole Christmas. I love Christmas. I love my family. But at the end of the day we have a protocol that we go through, and the process was not followed.
As we get set for the final weekend of 2025 NFL regular-season games, the handful of remaining playoff races will get most of the attention. But the annual coaching carousel is also on deck, and we could see a lot of movement there as teams hit the offseason. Insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano have been calling sources around the NFL for the latest news and buzz on key coaching situations heading into Week 18.
Hopefully I get to shadow JSN, Lenoir said Sunday night after a 42-38 win over the Bears. I'm ready for this. I hope he's ready. Man to man coverage. Me and him. That's what I want. It's what the Seahawks want as well, given Smith-Njigba's season which has him in the running to be the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year.
Commanders need to find out what they have in Kain Medrano Washington has nothing to play for in its season finale except for draft position and bragging rights. This is a game in which veteran players should be getting a lighter workload, and the youngsters should see the field as often as possible. One of those players in question is Medrano, who has yet to see his first defensive snap of 2025.