Lions sweep Bears to end season, but team braces for critical offseason

CHICAGO -- The Detroit Lions put nan bows connected a reliable run pinch a walk-off triumph complete nan Chicago Bears successful Week 18 action connected Sunday.

But pinch nan Lions heading location for nan playoffs, it’s clip to look up to nan captious offseason arsenic they effort to get backmost to being a existent contender. Detroit clinched nan fourth-place schedule for adjacent season, and will picks from nan 17th spot successful nan draft’s first round.

MLive’s Dungeon of Doom podcast recaps nan game, discusses immoderate of nan main challenges up successful nan imaginable hunt for an violative coordinator, nan needed remodel connected nan violative statement and immoderate pending free agents to track. Hosts Ben Raven and Kory Woods break it each down successful nan last postgame podcast of nan play from Soldier Field.

“Just a strange, unusual game. I mean, everything astir this crippled felt weird because we cognize what we already know. The Lions were eliminated from nan playoffs. They were already clinched for past spot successful nan section earlier nan crippled moreover started,” Raven said.

After discussing nan crippled and immoderate takeaways, not to mention a conception connected what Taylor Decker said successful nan locker room, Woods and Raven collapsed down immoderate of nan team’s cardinal free agents successful accelerated fire. With needs piling connected nan violative line, they highlighted immoderate reliable decisions ahead, pinch sneaky needs astatine safety, walk rusher tight extremity and linebacker, arsenic well.

The offseason starts now successful Detroit for coach Dan Campbell and wide head Brad Holmes. The honeymoon shape is complete after this year’s autumn from first to worst and missing nan postseason. There is existent unit for nan brace to get this squad backmost to wherever everyone expected them to beryllium correct now.

“Judging from what you guys had aliases players are saying coming retired of nan locker room, it will look for illustration it was a really affectional segment successful location for respective players for reasons we’re astir apt going to get into,” Woods noted. “And I deliberation that was besides different logic why guys were conscionable adamant astir playing this crippled because, you cognize -- This squad extracurricular of nan cornerstones, this squad is going to look beautiful different adjacent season.”

See beneath to perceive to nan last postgame podcast of nan play from nan Dungeon of Doom. We’ll beryllium backmost pinch different section pursuing Brad Holmes’ year-end property convention later this week:

• 2026 NFL draft: Where nan Detroit Lions will prime successful nan first round
• Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell’s honeymoon shape is over. The unit is on.
• Overheard wrong nan Lions’ locker room: Something to play for and aged medieval warrior
• Lions tackle Taylor Decker needs to ‘get away’ earlier deciding playing future
• What’s being said nationally aft Lions extremity 2025 play pinch expanse of Bears

I screen nan Detroit Lions for MLive aft starting my profession pinch nan MLive sports desk, Jackson Citizen Patriot, MLive Detroit and nan trending news team. I americium a lifelong Michigander, Central Michigan...