The Detroit Lions broke their 32-year playoff win drought last week after beating the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 at home in the wild-card round.
The Lions, no longer the bearers of the longest active playoff drought in sports, are now in the divisional round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions are at home again in front of an ear-splitting Ford Field crowd, thanks to a loss by the No. 2 seed Dallas Cowboys in the first round, looking to win two playoff games in the same season for the first time in the Super Bowl era.
The Lions beat the Buccaneers in the first matchup between the teams in Week 6 of the regular season. Detroit’s defense was able to contain Tampa’s offense and quarterback Baker Mayfield, holding them to just six points and zero touchdowns. Offensively, the running game was held in check, in part due to injuries to Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, while Jared Goff threw for a season-high 353 yards and two touchdowns.
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The Buccaneers rallied to win five of the final six games of the season to win the NFC South with a 9-8 record. Tampa dominated the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card round for a 32-9 win to book the trip to Detroit. Lions coaches and players are preparing for a “better” Bucs team in the second matchup after showing growth on both sides of the ball late in the year.
The Lions opened as a six-point favorite and that number has grown slightly to 6½ during the week, according to BetMGM. Here is a look at how some national reporters covering the NFL are predicting the game.
The five-writer panel for USA TODAY that gives predictions for NFL games is in lockstep this week, predicting a Lions victory and trip to the NFC championship. Three of the writers are predicting a double-digit Lions victory, while two are predicting a one-score margin in a close game.
Tyler Dragon, who predicted a 26-14 Lions win, wrote “Detroit was electric last week in its first home playoff game in 30 years. The Lions ended their playoff win drought. Now the Lions can play loose and focus on everything between the white lines. The Lions defeated the Bucs 20-6 in Week 6. That game wasn’t a fluke. Detroit is simply a better football team than Tampa Bay. Expect the Lions’ physicality to overwhelm the Bucs. Plus, the Detroit crowd will be rockin’ again.”
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Stephen A. Smith, one of the co-hosts of ESPN’s morning show “First Take”, believes there is no way Mayfield and the Buccaneers will be able to take down the Lions in front of the frothing Ford Field crowd.
“(Detroit fans) were so hyped and can you imagine how they are 60 minutes away from a trip to the NFC Championship game?” Smith said. “That crowd, that environment is going to be bananas, ready, hyped and I think it is entirely too much to expect Baker Mayfield to overcome.”
Two writers for ESPN, Seth Walder and Eric Moody, both sided with the Lions when giving their picks for all divisional-round games this weekend. Moody predicted a 28-21 Lions win while Walder predicted a 34-17 Lions win. ESPN’s FPI analytics gives the Lions a 62.5% chance of winning, which is equal to 4.5 points according to their numbers.
CBS Sports writer Pete Prisco predicted a 30-28 Buccaneers win when giving out his picks for the divisional round, while his colleague Tyler Sullivan predicted a 30-17 Lions victory.
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Explaining the Bucs pick, Prisco wrote, “Detroit played well on offense, but the defense showed some flaws. That could lead to another good day by Mayfield and his receivers. I think Jared Goff will also play well, especially if he can handle the Bucs blitz. Ben Johnson will have a plan for that. The Lions beat the Bucs earlier this season in Tampa, but it was close. This will also be close, but I think this time Tampa Bay gets payback and advances to the title game. Mayfield will keep it rolling. Upset.”
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NFL.com had five editors give predictions for the divisional round, and four of them backed the Lions while one predicted a 23-22 Buccaneers win. Tom Blair, who predicted a 27-22 Lions win said the Lions offense should continue playing well while the defense could find a way to get pressure on Mayfield.
“Presuming the Lions can handle their business on offense, this comes down to Baker Mayfield’s ability to keep up,” Blair wrote. “And while he could make things interesting against a defense that ranked 27th against the pass in the regular season, I think Detroit’s knack for heating up opposing quarterbacks (they posted a pressure rate of 39.2 percent, seventh-best in the NFL, per NGS) could make the difference.”
The Athletic anonymously interviewed nine coaches and executives around the NFL to give their playoff picks, and eight of the anonymous people in the NFL predicted a Lions victory, while one chose Tampa.
“I went back and forth (with my pick),” an executive told The Athletic. “I ultimately picked Detroit because they’re the more complete team and have home-field advantage. I am curious to see how Goff plays this weekend because I do think Tampa can get pressure on him. And historically, when you can get hits on Goff, you can get him out of rhythm.”
Sporting News writer Vinnie Iyer predicts a close victory for the Lions and said the Lions’ pass rush will be a key in the victory.
“The concern for Mayfield will Aidan Hutchinson and the Lions’ pass rush, containing the big plays,” Iyer wrote. “His counterpart Jared Goff will feel a little more comfortable at home and also get more help from an efficient rushing attack.”
Detroit’s dining scene just got even more flavorful with the opening of Sunda New Asian, bringing modern Southeast Asian cuisine to the city.
Restaurant owner Billy Dec joins the show to share what guests can expect from the new hotspot, from bold dishes and incredible cocktails to an energetic atmosphere.
Watch the video above to see what’s cooking up at Sunda New Asian.
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Detroit Lions podcast includes Purple Insider Matthew Coller to talk about NFC North offseason moves.
Nolan and Richard are joined by Purple Insider Matthew Coller to talk about NFC North offseason moves.
By this point in the offseason, it’s well documented who the Detroit Lions have added, as well as who they’ve lost.
Former Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays was the prize of free agency. He’ll replace Graham Glasgow in the middle of Detroit’s offensive line. Clemson’s Blake Miller, selected 17th overall in April’s draft, is poised to quickly take over at the tackle spot opposite Penei Sewell, stepping in for Taylor Decker. The pass rush was overhauled across from Aidan Hutchinson, with Ahmed Hassanein and Tyler Lacy being the only other edge defenders still on the roster from last season.
Today, we’ll try to take our analysis a step further, identifying a few patterns within Detroit’s offseason approach and exploring what those acquisitions, retentions and departures mean for a Lions team looking to bounce back and reemerge as a title contender in 2026.
Detroit’s offense had its own share of issues throughout 2025. But what the defense produced down the stretch with the season on the line failed to meet reasonable expectations. Opponents averaged 28.1 points and 382.1 yards per game from Weeks 12-18, a stretch that resulted in four losses. Pinning all of Detroit’s defensive woes on one factor would be foolish (and you can’t ignore the role injuries played), but an inconsistent, at best, pass rush certainly didn’t help. The Lions owned the third-slowest time to pressure (2.86 seconds) in the NFL last season, according to Next Gen Stats.
Aside from the retooling opposite Hutchinson, the Lions also seemingly put an emphasis on acquiring interior defensive linemen who can get after the passer. Levi Onwuzurike is back after his contract tolled last season — Josh Paschal, a run-defending lineman who also had his contract tolled but was released in March, wasn’t afforded the same opportunity — and the Lions spent a couple of late-round draft picks on Texas Tech’s Skyler Gill-Howard and Tennessee’s Tyre West. Both players were drafted because of the flashes they’ve shown as pass rushers, particularly Gill-Howard, whose win rate in 2025 (14.4%) ranked 10th out of the 512 FBS interior defenders who rushed the passer on at least 100 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Copying the Super Bowl champions isn’t always wise — every team’s personnel has its own set of skills — but it’s striking how much Detroit’s defense differed from that of the Seattle Seahawks, who rode their defense on the way to winning the franchise’s second title. The Lions led the league in use of base defense (three linebackers) last season, deploying those packages for 657 plays, according to Next Gen Stats. The Seahawks were last, with 66 plays. It was the opposite for use of nickel defense (five defensive backs), with the Seahawks leading the league (815) and the Lions at 32nd (355). Of course, Seattle is unique, given head coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive system and nickelback Nick Emmanwori’s immediate impact as a rookie.
The Lions won’t overhaul their entire scheme in one offseason, but it’s difficult to see their moves in totality and not come away thinking they could lean more on nickel packages in 2026. Alex Anzalone, one of the league’s better linebackers against the pass, allowed the Lions to play base defense as much as they did, as he was comfortable in coverage. He’s now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions added a number of viable options to play nickelback next season, including veterans Christian Izien Jr. and Roger McCreary, as well as fifth-round rookie Keith Abney II (Arizona State).
Assuming the starting five, from left to right, winds up being Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Mays, Tate Ratledge and Miller, Detroit’s offensive line will have an average age of 25.2 next season. That’s down from 2025 (27.8) and 2024 (29.8). In no way does the influx of youth indicate surefire success, but the Lions would certainly be set up for sustained success if each of the five projected starters reach their ceilings. The offensive line could be even younger if 2025 fifth-rounder Miles Frazier, who is 11 months younger than Mahogany, wins the starting job at left guard. Juice Scruggs, another contender at left guard, is nine months older than Mahogany. Ben Bartch, 27, is the veteran option.
Whether Mays continues ascending at center will be key to Detroit’s success in 2026. He’s only started 20 games at the position over his four seasons in the NFL, and all of those starts have come within the last two years. He showed week-to-week growth in his 12 starts in 2025, enough for the Lions to commit $25 million ($14 million guaranteed) to him over the next three years. Mays surrendered 13 pressures last season and didn’t allow sack, according to PFF.
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How the PWHL unveiled Detroit’s team amid much fanfare
Chris Ilitch, Mary Sheffield, Jayna Hefford and Amy Scheer talk about the PWHL Detroit team on May 6, 2026.
Josh Sciba comes to the Detroit Professional Women’s Hockey League team with a tremendous recent accolade.
Named to coach the ninth franchise in the PWHL’s history on Thursday, May 28, Sciba joins the team fresh off having served as an assistant coach with the women’s team that won the gold medal at the 2026 Milano Olympics.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited for the opportunity to become the coach of PWHL Detroit and beyond grateful for the trust placed in me to help lead the organization from the beginning,” Sciba said in a statement. “This is home and especially meaningful for me and my entire family, knowing Detroit’s rich hockey history and identity firsthand and how much the women’s hockey community has been yearning for this moment.”
The Detroit PWHL team has taken shape over the past month: From being introduced on May 6 in a gala event at Little Caesars Arena (where the team will play starting late November/early December 2026) to naming Manon Rheaume general manager on May 15.
“Josh is a highly respected coach with a knowledge of the game and experience at all levels of women’s hockey that set him apart, and his passion for teaching and individual character are qualities I value in a leader,” Rhéaume said in a release “Hockeytown is in his blood, and this is an opportunity I know he is eager to embrace with an understanding of what it means to represent this city and be part of its legacy.”
Next on the agenda is shaping the roster itself, which will happen at the June 17 expansion draft at Detroit’s Fox Theatre.
Sciba, 41 and a native of Westland, has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the PWHL’s New York Sirens and brings more than 15 years of coaching experience to the role.
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