Detroit Lions Week 12: A Win is a Win... Again

In Week 12, the hope is that the "clean it up" (as Dan Campbell would put it) part of the season is over for the Detroit Lions. Following a 34-27 win at home against the 2-win New York Giants, it is clear that the team continues trying to find its stride. The Lions continued their pattern of winning through the run game, with 237 yards, but the alarm bells should be ringing. The Jared Goff-to-Amon-Ra St. Brown connection isn't as solid as it once was. The Kelvin Sheppard defense allowed over 400 yards for the first time this season (517). So, what is going on in Detroit?

"Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell" by Kevind810 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Detroit Lions Week 12: The Offense

The offense looked better at times, with some explosive plays (two 49-yard runs, a 30-yard run, and a 69-yard run from Gibbs accounted for 197 of the total yards). Gibbs has become this offense's MVP. No. Not Jared Goff. Goff plays well if Gibbs is going. Gibbs was credited with three of Detroit's four touchdowns (two rushing and one receiving). St. Brown caught the other touchdown pass on a screen pass. St. Brown is the second most important part of this Lions' offense. He had 149 receiving yards, including 53 after the catch. The Lions' offense depends on these talented players making plays, especially with the loss of Sam LaPorta.

Detroit Lions Week 12: The Defense

The Detroit Lions' defense had a hiccup this week. The Giants' 517 yards of offense eclipsed the season's previous high for yards allowed, 355 (Kansas City Chiefs). Jameis Winston's style of play had the Lions confused multiple times. The Giants pulled out a lot of trick plays, which can be difficult to defend, but they can also be costly. The Lions' defense forced its first turnover since Week 9 against the Vikings with a Thomas Harper interception. Aidan Hutchinson got the Lions' only sack of the game, but it was timely. He ended the game on a Giants fourth down in overtime.

Detroit Lions Week 12 Verdict

The 2025 Detroit Lions are hard to read. At times, they've looked dominant. At other times, they've looked bad. They've certainly had their better performances against sub-500 teams, but struggling to take down the Giants at home feels like a red flag. Perhaps, the team will treat it as a wake-up call.

Last season, the Lions looked untouchable in the regular season, finishing 15-2 with several blowout wins. This season, they've had more struggles. One way to look at it is that they are facing more adversity and building toward playoff readiness. Another way to look at it is that they are not a contender but merely a team that sneaks into the playoffs and gets bounced in the first weekend.

Ideally, it's the former, but the Lions have been 3-3 in their last six games, which would argue for the latter. They beat the Giants and the Washington Commanders (5 wins between them) and the Buccaneers (three straight losses and four of the last five). A win is a win. That's true, but getting by in the regular season doesn't suit this team's goals. The goal is to win a Super Bowl.

A win is a win is a philosophy that will only sit well if it comes in the last game of the season. Otherwise, the philosophy represents a team with the talent to make the playoffs despite poor performances, but can't succeed in the postseason. In the past, making the playoffs felt like a blessing by itself. A playoff win became a miracle (a 32-year gap), but the promise was that it was only the beginning. This organization became about winning a Super Bowl, not just punching a ticket to the dance. So, sure, a win is a win, but can they win the one that matters?

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