The Lions are wasting no time making moves toward 2026 with an expected firing and a very under the radar OL signing. As expected, John Morton has been let go from the Lions coaching staff after getting demoted mid-season from Offensive Coordinator amidst a lack of cohesion, consistency and explosiveness that the Lions have been accustomed to. His firing was first announced by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network and later confirmed by the Lions Official X account. The move was widely expected and now the hunt is on for a replacement The other signing today was the announcement that the Lions had signed IOL Seth McLaughlin to a reserve/futures deal with the team, guaranteeing him a spot on the 90-man offseason roster. McLaughlin spent all last season with the Bengals, getting cut on final cut day and then the entire season on the Practice Squad. He was recovering from a torn Achilles suffered during Ohio States Championship run in 2024. Despite missing the last few regular season games and all of the playoffs, he still won the 2024 Rimington Award (best Center in College Football. He went undrafted but was ranked as the highest UDFA per ESPN and ended up with the Bengals. McLaughlin has good size for a Center at 6'4" 305 and was a two-time National Champion (Alabama and Ohio State). In addition to the Rimmington, he was a consensus all-American and 1st team All-Big Ten. The Lions may have gotten themselves a steal here.

With the 2025-2026 season officially over for the Detroit Lions, Brad Holmes and the front office started the process of filling out the off-season 90-man roster yesterday with a flurry of moves. In addition to signing all three Exclusive Rights Free Agents (ERFAs), the Lions signed nine of their 16 practice squad players to reserve/futures contracts, essentially guaranteeing them a spot on the initial 90-man offseason roster. The Lions had only three ERFAs, and yesterday the Lions offered, and all three of the players have accepted contracts for 2026-2027. RB Jacob Saylors 2023 UDFA – Bengals Waived final cuts, signed to PS and then to active roster on 09/06/25 Played in 16 games, 2 rushes for 11 yards, was one of primary KRs IOL Michael Niese 2022 UDFA - Broncos Waived final cuts, signed to PS and then to active roster on 11/15/25 Played in 8 games (1 healthy scratch) CB Nick Whiteside 2023 UDFA – Commanders Waived final cuts, signed to PS and then active roster twice in season, last on 12/04/25 Played in 9 games (2 healthy scratches), 2 tackles and three passes defensed The nine players signed to reserve/futures contracts: OL Devin Cochran – Veteran active for Nine of less Games 2 Elevations 2022 UDFA - Bengals WR Malik Cunningham – Less than two accrued seasons 1 Elevation 2023 UDFA - Patriots DE Ahmed Hassanein – Rookie 0 Elevations Lions 2025 6th Round Pick International Pathway player TE Zach Horton – Rookie 2 Elevations 2025 UDFA - Lions WR Jackson Meeks – Rookie 2 elevations 2025 UDFA - Lions OL Mason Miller – Rookie 0 Elevations 2025 UDFA - Lions RB Jabari Small – Rookie 0 Elevations 2024 UDFA - Titans DL Chris Smith – Less than two accrued seasons 0 Elevations 2023 UDFA - Lions S Loren Strickland – Rookie 1 Elevation 2024 UDFA - Lions The remainder of the practice squad players (one rookie and 6 veterans) were not signed or offered reserve/futures contracts, so they are essentially free agents effective immediately. CB Keenan Garber (Rookie) DL Pat O'Connor (Veteran) S Damontae Kazee (Veteran) TE Giovanni Ricci (Veteran) OL Chris Hubbard (Veteran) DL Myles Adams (Veteran) QB CJ Bethard (Veteran)

Mercifully, we are at the end of a very trying season for the Detroit Lions and their fans. What started out with such promise quickly delved into chaos and, frankly, an absolute shit-show from an injury perspective that tanked any chance they had of making a run. The Lions will be beat up and missing very important players in Penei Sewell, Alim McNeil, Alex Anzalone and Thomas Harper, so this game ought to be interesting. The Pick-em will come down to the tiebreaker, as only Chris chose the Lions this week, as Dan, Brent and Mike all went with the Bears. However, because Chris is two-games behind Brent and Dan and Tied with Mike, he will either be alone in 3rd place or come in dead last. I salute him for picking the Lions despite hbeing down about 10 pro-bowl players today 😊 Mike Week 18 has the Lions visiting the Bears at Soldier Field. We all know that this game means nothing for the Lions other than perhaps a move up or down in the Draft order and a potentially over or under a .500 record. The Bears have a few more reasons to play and it is (believe it or not) all related to Playoff positioning. The Chicago Bears, having clinched the NFC North, are playing for the No 2 or No 3 seed in the NFC playoffs this weekend (Week 18), hosting the winner of the division in the Wild Card round against either the Packers, Rams, or 49ers; a win against the Lions or an Eagles loss secures the No 2 seed and a home game vs. the No 7 seed Packers, while a loss combined with an Eagles win drops them to No 3, facing a tougher opponent from the NFC West. There is no need to deep dive this game. It is a getaway game for the Lions who hope to come out of this game with no major injuries to any of the core players. It would behoove the Lions to sit those players, but Dan Campbell and the Lions are not built that way. If the game gets out of hand I could see some mass substitutions, otherwise it will be business as usual. The Lions are 3.5-point dogs on Fan Dual. Can the Lions win? Yes. Will they win? No Bears 24, Lions 17 Brent The Lions enter week 18 with a hurt pride and coming off back-to-back-to-back losses to the Rams, Steelers, and the Vikings for the first time since Dan Campbell’s first season in Detroit. These losses sting given how the Lions were coming off of a 15-2 season and expectations were high. The Lions will be down some key starters and enter the game as 3.5-point underdogs. The Lions inability to run the football will be a huge element in this game on Sunday from Soldier Field. The Lions also are starting to turn the ball over regularly which is how the Bears have won as many games as they have this season to win the division. Count me in as pessimistic about the Lions ability to rebound despite wanting to win. Bears 38 and the Lions 17. Bears 38, Lions 17 Chris The Lions aren't limping into the offseason with that Christmas disaster as their final statement. Dan Campbell won't allow it. Back in Week 2, Detroit torched Chicago for 52 points when their offense actually hummed. The blueprint remains: pound the rock against a Bears defense surrendering 5 yards per carry, then unleash Goff on play-action. Yes, the offensive line is duct-taped together and the secondary running on fumes, but pride is a powerful motivator. Chicago needs this for the 2-seed. Detroit just needs to remember who they are. MCDC doesn't want to hear about a win affecting their first-round draft pick. Lions 31, Bears 27 Dan It’s Week 18 of a lost season for the Lions going against a team in the Bears that has a point to prove (and playoff seeding to worry about) and a coach with an axe to grind? Yeah, not liking the Lions odds here. On paper, the Bears are STILL a complete smoke and mirrors operation; their defense is living off turnovers and only middle of the pack in most key categories. Their Offense is also limping by with a run game carrying it, as Caleb Williams is DEAD LAST in the NFL in completion percentage at 58%. Toss in a last place schedule and the turnover margin, and the Bears are likely to get smoked in the playoffs and fall back to the NFC North cellar next year as they are on a Super Bowl trip. The Lions will be battling without starters from the middle of their defense (DT, LB and three top Safeties), their starting all-pro RT and with the bulk of the rest of their starting OL hurting and questionable. Pray for Jared Goff, Jamhyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Bottom Line, as a Lions fan that knows this year was an anomaly, I would like to see them get in position to acquire the best draft pick possible while keeping the core of the team safe from long-term injuries that could impact player availability into next year. Therefore, I anticipate that we will see the Bears go up quickly (due to the missing players on both sides of the ball) and a lot of guys that are not expected back next year to get the bulk of the playing time. Bears 34, Lions 17

With both teams done for the week, it looks like the Lions will be very short handed on the OL (Pray for Goff) and have a few other starters out. The Bears had some late-week illnesses that are impacting availability, but they look like they will be very healthy for the Week 18 game. Bears Friday: Starting OG Jonah Jackson is over his illness without an injury designation for Sunday, but starting S Jaquan Brisker appears to have caught the same thing and is questionable. He leads four Bears with that designation, and backup DE Tryon-Shoyinka will be out. Everyone else is without injury and will play. Thursday: Starting OG Jonah Jackson as added as a NP with an Illness, but he likely will play. However, Romeo Odunze was downgraded from LP to NP, so he is trending in the wrong direction. Otherwise, everyone else that was NP upgraded to LP and are trending to play. Wednesday: The Bears had quite a few players listed as NP, it only one starter in WR Odunze among the bunch. It's mainly the depth guys that were on the report, with WR and CB the positions with multiple guys sitting out. Lions Friday: Just yikes, the Lions will be sitting down four starters including Penei Sewell, Alex Anzalone, Alim McNeil, Thomas Harper and backup OL Trystan Colon. Five guys are questionable including Decker (rest), Manu (not expected to be activated), Mahogany, St-Brown and Awosika. So that is four of the seven guys that have been rotating through while the Lions have been navigating injuries that are either out or beat up against the Bears. Avonte Maddox will play and start at safety. Thursday: Sewell, Colon and McNeil were still out, but the rest of the Np all moved to FP and Maddox moved from LP to FP. Otherwise, the rest stayed the same with most everyone trending to play at least some snaps come Sunday. Wednesday: Last week of season, and seven starters listed as NP on the initial injury report. Includes multiple OL including Sewell, Awosika, Colon and Mahogany that sat out. Anzalone, harper, McNeil and St Brown were also NP, with Decker Maddox and Manu (likely to get activated) all as LP. Disaster of a season for the Lions on the Injury front once again.

Both teams saw movement, with the bulk of guys getting healthier and improving. However, the Bears had two starters see downgrades, although I expect one to play. Bears Thursday: Starting OG Jonah Jackson as added as a NP with an Illness, but he likely will play. However, Romeo Odunze was downgraded from LP to NP, so he is trending in the wrong direction. Otherwise, everyone else that was NP upgraded to LP and are trending to play. Wednesday: The Bears had quite a few players listed as NP, it only one starter in WR Odunze among the bunch. It's mainly the depth guys that were on the report, with WR and CB the positions with multiple guys sitting out. Lions Thursday: Sewell, Colon and McNeil were still out, but the rest of the Np all moved to FP and Maddox moved from LP to FP. Otherwise, the rest stayed the same with most everyone trending to play at least some snaps come Sunday. Wednesday: Last week of season, and seven starters listed as NP on the initial injury report. Includes multiple OL including Sewell, Awosika, Colon and Mahogany that sat out. Anzalone, harper, McNeil and St Brown were also NP, with Decker Maddox and Manu (likely to get activated) all as LP. Disaster of a season for the Lions on the Injury front once again.

The last week of the season is here (mercifully) and the Lions are still a beat-up team, with many key contributors facing injury issues that should beg the question...sit or start? The Bears are looking clean at this point, continuing their smoke and mirrors season with Lady Luck driving much of their success instead of just being...good. Bears Wednesday: The Bears had quite a few players listed as NP, it only one starter in WR Odunze among the bunch. It's mainly the depth guys that were on the report, with WR and CB the positions with multiple guys sitting out. Lions Wednesday: Last week of season, and seven starters listed as NP on the initial injury report. Includes multiple OL including Sewell, Awosika, Colon and Mahogany that sat out. Anzalone, harper, McNeil and St Brown were also NP, with Decker Maddox and Manu (likely to get activated) all as LP. Disaster of a season for the Lions on the Injury front once again.

Name: Brad Rogers  Age: 52  Promoted To Referee: 2019  Graphic Courtesy of Football Zebras Last Game: Week 17 2025 DAL@ WAS   Last Lions Game: Week 18 2024 – MIN 9 @ DET 31    The Minnesota Vikings committed 6 penalties for 30 yards. They were flagged a total of 6 times.  The Detroit Lions committed 8 penalties for 49 yards. They were flagged a total of 10 times.  Together there were 14 penalties for 79 yards. There were 16 total flags in this game.    Notable   Brad Rogers and crew are more in the middle of the pack of officials for flags, yards and types of penalties in 2025.  They pay attention to the Offensive Line area, with False Start and Offensive Holding as their two most called penalties by a large margin.  They also flag Unnecessary Roughness, Defensive Holding and Defensive Pass Interference in their top 5, which aligns with most of the Lions' penalty trends.  Chicago also gets impacted, as they have a significant number of false starts and Offensive Holding calls (more so than Lions).  The one benefit is that this crew tends to flag visitors at the 4 th highest rate in the league, but the home teams only at the 11 th highest rate.

Week 18 brings a conclusion to the NFL regular season and with it, no more Thursday or Monday night games. With the College Football Bowl season in full swing, the NFL is set for National games on Saturday and Sunday night only, and both FOX and CBS running double-headers on Sunday afternoon. National games on Saturday (ABC/ESPN) and Sunday (NBC) night will all have playoff implications and will be carried by ESPN/ABC and feature CAR@TB at 4:30pm and then SEA@SF at 8:00 PM. Sunday night on NBC will feature BAL@PIT. As for Sunday afternoon, CBS early games feature IND@HOU, GB@MIN and CLE@CIN with the IND/HOU game going to 80% of the country. The CBS Late game features LAC@DEN, WAS@PHI, NYJ@BUF and KC@LAV. Teh bulk of the country will get the LAC@DEN game with the rest of the regional audiences of the teams playing. FOX early features DAL@NYG, TEN@JAX and NO@ATl, with the DAL/NYG game going to 70% of the country. The afternoon slate includes DET@CHI, MIA@NE and AREZ@LAR, with the DET/CHI game going to about 70% of the country. Byes: None – Complete for 2025-2026 Season NATIONAL BROADCASTS Saturday 4:30 ET: Carolina @ Tampa Bay (ESPN/ABC; Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick) Saturday 8:00 ET: Seattle @ San Francisco (ESPN/ABC; Joe Buck, Troy Aikman) Sunday Night: Baltimore @ Pittsburgh (NBC) CBS Early CBS Late FOX Early FOX Late All listings are unofficial and subject to change. Check back often for updates.  Courtesy of the folks at 506 Sports

What was thought at the start of the season to be a potential division deciding game has devolved into a slop-fest of two teams that are incredibly injured with one out of the playoffs, and one clinging on by the smallest of threads. In terms of the pick-em, no changes as everyone picked the Lions to win and we all missed, and this week everyone is picking the Lions to win, only the tie breaker will see movement. Dan continues to hold a slim lead due to the tie breaker Mike This is the definition of a "must win" game for the Lions. Both teams come in Limping from an Injury standpoint. With the Vikings officially out of the playoff race they will look to play spoiler to the Lions slim chances of making the playoffs. They are down too many impact players. I would expect the Lions to come in with their hair on fire. The Lions offense is in much better shape than the Vikings are on Defense. I also feel the Lions defense is in better shape than the Vikings offense. However it is an NFC North game. The Lions are 7.5 point favorites. I dont think they will cover but will win a close game. Lions 24, Vikings 21 Brent The Lions head into this game in a must win or elimination from the playoffs. Lions streak of not losing back to back games ended but Goff and his band of merry men will make quick work of the Vikings. Goff leads the Lions to three straight first half touchdowns and they roll over a JJ McCarthy-less Vikings team 34 to 13. Lions 34, Vikings 13 Chris The Lions head to Minnesota on Christmas day, and if you're a Vikings fan hoping for a miracle, you picked the wrong holiday. Max Brosmer will be making his second career start, which tells you everything about how Minnesota's season has unraveled. Expect a rebound game from last week's Steelers debacle. Detroit's defense will feast on a rookie quarterback, and the offensive line won't hold up against Hutchinson and this pass rush. Meanwhile, Gibbs and Montgomery were embarrassed last week and will gash a Vikings run defense that can't stop anyone when it matters. Goff manages the game; the Lions control the clock, and this one gets ugly in the second half. Lions win comfortably, 34-17. Lions 34, Vikings 17 Dan It's a must win, but the Lions must face a Brian Flores defense that strymied them back in Week 9 with a defense that has been gutted on the back end. Fortunately, despite having two potential all-pro WRs, the Vikings QB situation has been nothing short of a disaster, and they will be starting rookie Max Brosmer and be down 3 of five starting OL and starting TE TJ Hockenson. The Lions offense is pretty much intact, although a bug is running through the team, and they should be able to move the ball better this week with the OL a bit more stabilized. As long as the Lions don't make mistakes on offense, they should easily be able to dispatch this Vikings team. Lions 34, Vikings 17

Merry Christmas Everyone form the staff here at The Grey Manes. With another short and super busy holiday week, w e condensed our usually weeks' worth of game posts into this single thread to cover everything about the Lions meeting the Vikings tomorrow afternoon. Tale of the Tape - Matchup Final Injury Report Officiating

The second practice of the short week saw both teams conducting walk-throughs again, but the estimated players report showed promise across the board. Steelers Tuesday: Practice day two was another walk-through and only one player saw their status change, starting T O’Neil went from NP to LP, so he appears to be trending as in. Everyone else did not see any changes to their practice status. Monday: Vikings went through a walk-through and listed several key contributors as NP for the day, including JJ McCarthy, TJ Hockenson, Ryan Kelly and O’Neil. Multiple others were listed as Limited, including Aaron Jones, Jason Hargraves, and Eric Wilson. Lions Tuesday: Second practice was a walk-through, and there were some notable improvements and one negative. David Montgomery popped up with an Illness and a NP designation but hope he doesn't have what I have and will be in there on Thursday. Other improvements were Decker and St Brown form NP to LP and Glasgow from LP to FP. Everyone else kept their same designation as Monday, and appear to be trending toward in. Maddox is the only player that I would be worried about, which is another hit to the Lions already thin Safety position. Monday: The Lions had a whole bunch of people on the list, including Maddox, St Brown and Decker as NP and a bunch of folks as LP. It was an estimated report, s probably based on treatment from the Sunday game.

Everyone is back on the schnide this week with the Lions expected to beat up the Steelers in Ford Field. Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives, and both are missing key contributors, but the Steelers are worse off than the Lions. In terms of the pick-em, no changes as everyone picked the Lions to lose and this week everyone is picking the Lions to win, only the tie breaker will see movement. Dan continues to hold a slim lead due to the tie breaker Mike Week 16 has the Pittsburgh Steelers visiting Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions in their last home game of the year (Unless something wild and whacky happens with the Playoffs). This is not your Fathers Steelers team. However, they have one of the biggest Lion Killers ever as their QB. The Steelers come into this matchup as the # 27 Ranked Defense averaging 288.1 yds/gm. They average 195 yds/gm passing and are averaging 92.5 yds/gm rushing the ball. These numbers are not good. On the other side of the ball the Lions Defense comes in limping a little bit both figuratively and literally. The last 4 weeks have been tough for Kelvin Sheppard and the Lions Defense, giving up a ton of yards and points over that time span. The Lions come into this game ranked 21st overall and are giving up on average 337 yds/gm. Pass Defense is giving up an average of 231 yds/gam and 106.7 yds on average on the ground per game. These numbers are not good enough for this Lions team. The Defensive Backfield needs a good game this week. It will again be tough missing ¾ of your starters there, but the next man up mentality and GRIT needs to be strong against the likes of Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf. The Front 7 needs to stop the run and rattle Mr. Rodgers a little bit this week. On Defense the Steelers are in the bottom fourth of the league coming in Ranked 28th. The Steelers give up an average of 363 yards per game. They are giving up 242 yds/gm through the air and 121 yds/gm on the ground. These are not good numbers. The Lions come in as the #4 Offense overall. The Lions average 379 yards per game. This game has potential for a Blowout the Lions are 6.5-point favorites in this game per Fan Dual on 12/19/2025. This should be a “get right game” for the Lions. They are a better team than the Steelers, they are playing in one of the best home fields in the NFL, they are fighting for their Playoff life. There is really no excuse for a loss here. The Lions need to come out fast and keep the throttle to the floor for the whole game. I think the Lions win going away, even with a makeshift Defensive Backfield. Lions 35, Steelers 17 Brent The Detroit Lions face the Pittsburgh Steelers this week at Ford Field in a true must-win matchup. With three games remaining in the regular season, the Lions hold a staggering 96% probability of making the playoffs if they win out, and everything starts at home against Pittsburgh. Detroit’s clear strength is its offense, a unit loaded with playmakers at every level. Quarterback Jared Goff commands an attack fueled by the explosive backfield duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, while Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams provide speed, precision, and big-play potential on the outside. When this offense is in rhythm, it can score from anywhere on the field. For the Lions to control this game, establishing the run will be critical. Pittsburgh will stack the box early, determined to prevent Detroit from finding rhythm on the ground. That makes the play-action passing game essential and when Goff is effective off play action, the Lions offense becomes extremely difficult to defend. Against a Steelers defense that has been solid but middle-of-the-road, Detroit has a clear opportunity to get its weapons loose and dictate the tempo. On the defensive side of the ball, the Lions are very much a MASH unit, as injuries have devastated what was once the NFL’s best safety tandem. In recent weeks, Detroit has struggled to stop the run and has surrendered too many explosive plays, putting added pressure on an already thin secondary. That plays directly into Pittsburgh’s offensive identity. The Steelers will look to control the clock, establish the running game, and keep Detroit’s high-powered offense on the sideline. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is no longer the gunslinger of his early years, but he remains efficient and dangerous if given time in the pocket. To counter that, the Lions will need to be aggressive and creative. Expect defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to dial up multiple blitz packages, disguise coverages, and force quick decisions. Ultimately, Detroit will be counting on its safeties and depth players to hold up and limit big plays. If the defense can get timely stops and avoid costly breakdowns, it should be enough to complement the offense. In the end, the raucous crowd at Ford Field will be celebrating early and often. Fueled by home-field energy and a high-powered offense, Detroit continues its quest to reach the playoffs for the third straight season. The Lions make a statement in front of the Grey Manes faithful. Lions 38, Steelers 17 Chris The Lions head into this one needing a victory to realistically in the playoff race, and frankly, the matchup favors them in almost every phase. Detroit's offensive line should dominate at the point of attack, giving Sonic and Knuckles room to operate while Goff picks apart a secondary that's struggled against play-action all season. The real question isn't whether the Lions can move the ball. It's whether they'll stay disciplined enough to avoid self-inflicted wounds and not continue give up a league-worst amount of explosive plays on the backend. Defensively, Hutch and the pass rush need to set the tone early. If they can rattle Rodgers and force mistakes, this game gets ugly fast. I just wish Kerby was healthy for this one, as he has always had Aaron Rodgers' number. Expect the Lions to control the clock, win the trenches, and put this one away in the second half. Lions 31, Steelers 20 Dan Guess what time it is? Time for Lions to win on that alternating schedule. This week brings in old nemesis Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they are missing quite a few key pieces on their defense and Offensive Line. Defensively, these teams are very close to one another, much more so than the Rams last week, in terms of stats and what we should expect. The big difference will be that the Steelers are losing pass rushing help, which should allow the Lions to have free will on offense and likely come close to one of their patented offensive explosions. The Lions do get Thomas Harper back to help stabilize the DBs, but Amik will be in a club and the Steelers feature DK Metcalf and a TE that is the size of an OL, so I expect them to score through the air even though their ground game is putrid. Conversely, the Pittsburgh offense is below average across the board other than Passing TDs. They are bottom third everywhere, while the Lions continue to be a top 5 offense in most categories. This has the markings of a shootout, with the Lions defense getting enough stops to hold the Steelers to their avg Pts per game of 24 because their OL is pretty beat up. Lions 38, Steelers 24