During Sunday’s NFL Network broadcast, former Detroit Lions head coach Steve Mariucci delivered a sobering prediction about his former team’s postseason hopes. Asked directly whether the Lions will make the playoffs, Mariucci didn’t hesitate to express concern.
“I don’t think so – It’s gonna be hard. They might,” Mariucci said, followed by a laugh from the panel.
“I’m flipping it. I’m gonna just say no. I’m sorry, Detroit. You got a heck of a team, but you know what? Right now, all… Look at the tiebreakers. You got swept by the Packers already. Your conference record is five and four, not very good with all those other contenders. Your division record’s one and three. That’s not… And this… You come to play the Rams. That’s a tough out, all right? Mm-hmm.”
"It's going to be tough."
Steve Mariucci predicts that the Lions are not going to make the playoffs this season. pic.twitter.com/IJne5fu8PM— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) December 7, 2025
Mariucci pointed to the tight NFC race and Detroit’s disadvantage in several key tiebreakers. Additionally, the Lions were swept by the Green Bay Packers (31-24). So, with matchups looming against the Los Angeles Rams and a potentially decisive finale at Chicago, Mariucci warned that even an 11-win season might not guarantee a postseason berth.
“They could win 11 games, maybe, and still not get in,” Mariucci said. “And it’s gonna come down to the last game over there in Chicago, at Chicago, and it’s gonna be maybe win or make the playoffs. That’s how close this division is. It’s unbelievable. Strongest division, I think, in the National Football League. There are three really good teams, but it’s gonna be hard.”
via Imagn Images
His skepticism comes despite Detroit’s explosive 2025 campaign. Entering Week 15 at 8–5, the Lions lead the NFL in scoring at 30.3 points per game and field one of the league’s most balanced attacks.
Jared Goff is delivering one of his most efficient seasons—3,334 yards, 26 touchdowns, only five interceptions—while Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown continue to power a top-five rushing and passing unit.
But inconsistency and defensive injuries have stalled Detroit’s momentum. Losses to division rivals Green Bay and Minnesota have pushed the Lions to third in the NFC North behind Chicago (9–3) and the Packers (8–3–1).
Detroit remains firmly in the playoff hunt, yet as Mariucci emphasized, the road is steep—and the margins razor-thin.
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