The Detroit Lions were the talk of the NFC during the regular season and were primed to win the Super Bowl in February on the back of their 15-win campaign. They swept the Green Bay Packers on both occasions this season.
But in the postseason, the Lions failed to deliver when it mattered most. They fell 45-31 to the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round, joining the Packers and Vikings in making NFC North playoff history — but not in a good way. It became the first division ever to send three teams to the playoffs, only for all three to bow out in their opening games.
Keisean Nixon Invites Lions to His Villa After Playoff Loss
Keisean Nixon, Green Bay’s cornerback and former All-Pro kick returner, didn’t let the Lions off the hook for their collapse. While the Packers also exited early with a 22-10 Wild Card loss to the Eagles, Nixon was quick to make fun of Detroit for their failure after all the hype they generated throughout the season.
“Somebody tell them boys in Detroit I got an extra room at the villa in Cabo,” Nixon tweeted on X.
Somebody tell them boys in Detroit I got a extra room at the villa in Cabo😂
— K9 (@keiseannixon) January 20, 2025
The Lions’ loss wasn’t just any defeat — it was historic. Detroit became only the second 15+ win team in NFL history to lose its first playoff game, joining the 2011 Packers in a club no one wants to be part of.
Jared Goff, who has struggled in comeback scenarios throughout his career, posted a dismal PFN QB+ grade of 68.9, his worst performance in 18 games this season. Goff continues to battle the perception of being unable to deliver in the clutch.
MORE: Lions Veteran Makes Feelings Known on Jared Goff Hate, Gives QB the Ultimate Compliment
Coach Campbell said postgame, “We just didn’t get it done. It’ll be something that I’m going to be, you know, I’m going to have a lot of time here to really look at it, think about it, and figure it out.
“It’s hard. You know, when you lose — when you lose these games, man — it’s like the players…what they put into it. A lot of people don’t know what they go through. You have to get up, bodies beat to s**t. You know, mentally stay locked in and do those things. Long season,” Campbell continued.
Coach Campbell on his respect for the players pic.twitter.com/pW2dBNXwnn
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 19, 2025
The exit also brought a sour end to Detroit’s second-quarter dominance during the regular season. Detroit outscored opponents by 128 points in that quarter but had a -14 margin vs. Washington in the Divisional Round.