We’re pretty close to the halfway point in the 2025 NFL season, and your Detroit Lions are pretty close to expectations at their Week 8 bye. For example, way back in May, Erik Schlitt and I made 2025 Lions game-by-game predictions right after the schedule came out. Both of us had the Lions at 5-2 at the bye week, although the routes there were different from reality. While we both had the Chiefs game as a loss, but we predicted the other loss to come from the Ravens game, not the Packers opener.
Despite getting the record right, this Lions team doesn’t look exactly like we expected. The defense being the No. 1 team in DVOA and fifth in EPA is certainly a pleasant surprise. But the offense isn’t quite as magical as we were hoping, with some somewhat predictable struggles on the offensive line.
The rest of the NFL also looks a lot different than expected. What looked like a daunting start to the season now looks like the easy part with the collapses of the Bengals and Ravens. Detroit’s future schedule remains looking difficult, although the Commander, Eagles, and Vikings aren’t quite as scary as maybe we assumed at the beginning of the season.
So with so much more information about the Lions and the league around them, it’s time to revisit our season predictions. Today’s Question of the Day is:
What record will the Lions finish with in 2025?
My answer: Before I give my answer, let’s go back and see what you all predicted back in May. Here’s the distribution of the five most common answers:
- 12-5: 31.6%
- 13-4: 21.6%
- 11-6: 19.3%
- 14-3: 8.9%
- 10-7: 6.9%
It seems extremely realistic that the top five answers were between 10-7 and 14-3, and all of those predictions are right on track to hit, given Detroit’s strong start.
My initial prediction was with the consensus at 12-5, and I don’t see myself moving off that record now. If I had to guess which games will be the three remaining losses, I’d probably predict the Eagles, Rams, and maybe the road game against the Vikings. I know Minnesota looks terrible right now, but with a healthier offensive line and J.J. McCarthy with some games under his belt (maybe), I think they could right the ship by then. Obviously, the game against the Packers on Thanksgiving figures to be a highly competitive one, too.
Let’s hear your updated predictions! Vote in the poll below and share your reasoning in the comment section at the bottom of the page.
