I’m not entirely sure what happened with Detroit this year, and I’m not convinced that BJ leaving was the root cause of their issues. One thing I heard in conversations with my Lions-fan neighbor was frustration over how much less Montgomery was used compared to previous seasons—especially mid-season. That may have been injury-related, but it clearly stood out to them.
Interestingly, Goff’s numbers didn’t really take a significant hit year over year:
2024 Goff: 4,629 yards, 37 TDs, 12 INTs, 72.4% completion
2025 Goff: 4,233 yards, 33 TDs, 7 INTs, 68.3% completion (as of today)
The most noticeable difference for the Lions, though, is their performance in close games. Last year they were 7-2 in one-possession wins; this year they’re 2-5. Hmm… where have we seen that before?
All that said, do you think Johnson might want a little revenge for the 52–21 beating they put on us earlier this year? I agree that neither side will go all-out if there’s a risk of injuries, but in the end, I think Chicago pulls off the win.