season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-most-to-blame-for-high-scoring-loss-to-rams');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions most to blame for high-scoring loss to Rams');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Lions-most-to-blame-for-high-scoring-loss-to-Rams.jpg"></figure><h1>Lions most to blame for high-scoring loss to Rams</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-15T10:18:08-08:00">December 15th, 10:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-15T10:18:08-08:00">December 15th, 10:18am</time><address><a>Garrett Kerman</a>Garrett Kerman also goes by the name of The Fight Analyst. He covers all combat sports, from MMA, to boxing, to even bare-knuckle. He is also very well-versed in all American sports when it comes to news and betting analysis. Whether you want betting advice or some breaking news, Garrett is your guy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions had every opportunity to walk away victorious from SoFi Stadium on Sunday night, but instead, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dan-campbell-rams-loss-burn-playoff-dwindle">they left with a devastating 41-34 loss to the Los Angeles Rams</a>—a defeat that falls squarely on their shoulders. While Matthew Stafford’s commanding performance and the Rams’ explosive playmakers deserve credit for an impressive second-half rally, the Lions cannot escape the reality that they constructed their own demise through a catastrophic defensive collapse and opportunistic offensive stagnation when it mattered most. At 8-6, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-playoff-picture-updated-dvoa-athletic-espn-model-odds-week-15">Detroit’s playoff hopes have taken a significant hit</a>, and the blame begins and ends with a team that simply failed to execute when championship-caliber execution was required.​</p><h2>A Defense in Complete Disarray</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Rams-wide-receiver-Davante-Adams.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The stat that tells the entire story is this: the Los Angeles Rams accumulated 519 total yards of offense, including a season-high 159 rushing yards that exposed fundamental breakdowns across every level of Detroit’s defense. The Lions allowed a 69.0% success rate in rushing—the worst performance in the Dan Campbell era—while Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combined for an alarming 5.7 yards per carry. This wasn’t a case of the Rams simply outplaying Detroit; it was a defense that fundamentally failed to perform its basic assignments.​</p><p>Puka Nacua was particularly devastating, securing nine receptions for 181 yards and consistently succeeding on critical third-down situations where the Lions’ secondary repeatedly found itself in broken coverage. The pass defense was equally pitiful, with cornerback D.J. Reed being beaten on multiple occasions and several coverage breakdowns allowing Rams tight end Colby Parkinson to exploit the middle of the field at will. The Lions forced merely three punts all game—a statistic that should embarrass a defense holding playoff aspirations.​</p><h2>The Offensive Collapse That Proved Costly</h2><p>While Detroit’s offense produced 34 points and four touchdowns, a number that typically guarantees victory, the Lions went completely dormant at the precise moment the game was being decided. After recording 17 points in the second quarter and taking a 24-17 halftime lead, the offense managed just a field goal in the entire third quarter while being outscored 17-0 by Los Angeles. The Lions went three-and-out on three consecutive opening drives of the second half—a sequence of ineptitude that allowed the Rams to seize control of the contest completely.​​</p><p>Jared Goff’s individual performance remained stellar with 338 passing yards and three touchdowns, and Amon-Ra St. Brown delivered another outstanding performance with 13 receptions for 163 yards and two scores. However, the offense’s inability to sustain momentum when their defense was crumbling proved unforgivable. A championship-caliber offense finds ways to keep the opposing defense on the field and establishes rhythm; instead, Detroit made it easier for the Rams by going stagnant when leadership was needed most.​</p><p>The Lions had the chance to improve to 9-5 and maintain their slim playoff hopes against an 11-3 team. Instead, they handed the Rams a path to clinch their playoff position while sliding to 8-6 themselves. With playoff odds dropping to just 36% following the loss, the Lions are now in genuine danger of missing the postseason for the first time in three seasons.​</p><p>The harsh reality is that Detroit lost this game because their defense couldn’t make stops when it mattered and their offense couldn’t maintain the aggression that worked so effectively in the first half. The Rams executed when it counted; the Lions folded. In a league where dozens of teams harbor playoff aspirations, margins for error disappear rapidly. The Lions had their margin on Sunday night, and they squandered it entirely through a combination of defensive incompetence and offensive inconsistency. That’s ownership, and that’s why the Lions have only themselves to blame for this painful defeat.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions most to blame for high-scoring loss to Rams

ClutchPoints’ NFL Power Rankings, Week 16: Bears, Bills win as Chiefs eliminated

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-jared-goff-keeping-playoff-hopes-high-despite-loss-rams');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions QB Jared Goff keeping playoff hopes high despite loss to Rams');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jared-Goff.jpg"><figcaption>Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lions QB Jared Goff keeping playoff hopes high despite loss to Rams</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-15T06:02:40-08:00">December 15th, 6:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-15T06:02:40-08:00">December 15th, 6:02am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions could not get the job done at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dan-campbell-rams-loss-burn-playoff-dwindle">Detroit lost 41-34 against Los Angeles</a> in a game that featured plenty of scoring for both teams. The Lions are now 8-6 and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-playoff-picture-updated-dvoa-athletic-espn-model-odds-week-15">barely hanging on in the NFC playoff picture</a>. But they are still confident they can make it into the dance.</p><p>Lions QB Jared Goff spoke with the media after Sunday’s tough loss. <a href="https://x.com/E_Woodyard/status/2000382076680581507" rel="noopener">He is still confident</a> in Detroit’s playoff chances despite a missed opportunity against LA.</p><p>“Yeah we’ve got a resilient group,” Goff replied, per ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “We bounce back after something like this. We’ve got a home game in front of our fans, expect them to bring it for us, and find a way to win that one. Then go to the next.”</p><p>Goff played well, going 25-of-41 passing for 338 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately, the Lions’ defense allowed 519 yards against the Rams and could only limit them to 41 points.</p><p>The veteran quarterback clearly wants to take things one game at a time. He doesn’t want to look too far ahead.</p><p>“You know, it’d be nothing better than that in the playoffs, a three-game win streak” Goff added. “That’s got to be the goal. But again, in order to win three you’ve got to win one.”</p><p>Hopefully Detroit can use Sunday’s loss as motivation for the rest of the regular season.</p><h2><b>Dan Campbell wants Rams loss to “burn” as Lions’ playoff chances dwindle</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Dan-Campbell-1.jpg"><figcaption>Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Head coach Dan Campbell does not want his team to forget Sunday’s loss.</p><p>In fact, Campbell <a href="https://x.com/BradGalli/status/2000376811948220497" rel="noopener">wants his guys to feel “burned”</a> by their frustrating one-score defeat. He put it plainly during his postgame remarks.</p><p>“It should burn at you, it should eat you up,” Campbell said, per Brad Galli of WXYZ Detroit. “Do not go numb to the losing. Staff and I are going to come in and watch this thing together tomorrow, all of us. (We’ll) make those corrections, and then move on.”</p><p>Campbell does not want the Lions to become numb to the idea of defeat. Instead, he wants it to hurt every time. That way it motivates the team to win the next game.</p><p>Next up for the Lions is a Week 16 matchup against the Steelers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions QB Jared Goff keeping playoff hopes high despite loss to Rams

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dan-campbell-rams-loss-burn-playoff-dwindle');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions’ Dan Campbell wants Rams loss to ‘burn’ as playoff chances dwindle');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Lions-Dan-Campbell-wants-Rams-loss-to-burn-as-playoff-chances-dwindle.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lions’ Dan Campbell wants Rams loss to ‘burn’ as playoff chances dwindle</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-14T21:43:35-08:00">December 14th, 9:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-14T21:43:35-08:00">December 14th, 9:43pm</time><address><a>Tristin McKinstry</a>Tristin McKinstry is an experienced sports writer who got his start back in 2014. He is a Senior Editor with ClutchPoints and is one of the staff's NHL experts. Tristin has worked professionally with The Inquisitr and GIVEMESPORT in the past, and his work has also been featured on Last Word On Sports, XFL News Hub, and USFL News Hub. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Communications at Southern New Hampshire University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-bold-predictions-for-pivotal-week-15-clash-with-rams">Detroit Lions needed a win over the Los Angeles Rams</a> on Sunday evening. Detroit’s playoff hopes were not looking too good, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dan-campbell-drops-f-bombs-galore-fiery-postgame-speech-after-beating-cowboys">a win over the Dallas Cowboys</a> after Thanksgiving gave the franchise hope. However, Dan Campbell’s men were unable to defeat the Rams. And now their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread once again.</p><p>Jared Goff threw for three touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over. Unfortunately, the Lions defense gave up 41 points to their former quarterback, Matthew Stafford. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-rams/rams-news-punch-ticket-playoffs-crucial-lions-win">Los Angeles claimed a playoff spot</a> with a 41-34 win over Detroit on Sunday evening at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California.</p><p>After the game, Campbell shared an urgent message for his team. He wants his team to remember how the loss makes them feel. And he wants his team <a href="https://x.com/BradGalli/status/2000376811948220497" rel="noopener">to keep that feeling</a> with them through the remainder of the season.</p><p>“It should burn at you, it should eat you up. Do not go numb to the losing. Staff and I are going to come in and watch this thing together tomorrow, all of us. (We’ll) make those corrections, and then move on,” the Lions head coach said, via WXYZ Detroit sports anchor Brad Galli.</p><p>The Lions have fallen to 8-6 on the 2025 season. They have not won or lost consecutive games since Week 5 when they capped off a three-game winning streak with a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. This is a trend they will need to correct, as they likely need to win all of their remaining games to make the postseason.</p><p>The Lions’ hunt for the postseason continues in Week 16 when they play host to Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions’ Dan Campbell wants Rams loss to ‘burn’ as playoff chances dwindle

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-playoff-picture-updated-dvoa-athletic-espn-model-odds-week-15');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions playoff picture: Updated DVOA, The Athletic, ESPN model odds before Week 15');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Detroit-Lions-head-coach-Dan-Campbell.jpg"><figcaption>Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lions playoff picture: Updated DVOA, The Athletic, ESPN model odds before Week 15</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-12T11:16:01-08:00">December 12th, 11:16am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-12T11:16:01-08:00">December 12th, 11:16am</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-bold-predictions-for-pivotal-week-15-clash-with-rams">Detroit Lions indeed have a tough matchup against the Rams</a>. And they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/why-lions-have-no-chance-to-slow-down-matthew-stafford-rams-offense-in-week-15">will likely struggle to contain Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford</a>. But here is the Lions’ playoff picture with DVOA, The Athletic, and ESPN model before their Week 15 battle.</p><p>The Lions are coming off an impressive 44-30 win over the Cowboys, and stand with a record of 8-5. The Rams are likely the toughest team they have remaining on their schedule, so getting a win here could be crucial.</p><h2><b>Lions need to focus on Wild Card route</b></h2><p>It’s not impossible for the Lions to win the NFC North. However, they have <a href="https://ftnfantasy.com/nfl/dvoa-playoff-odds" rel="noopener">only a 9.9% chance</a>, according to FTN Fantasy. Their best bet is the Wild Card picture, where they stand with a 50.5% chance.</p><p>Key injuries have hurt their chances. They will have to face Stafford without standout safety Brian Branch. He was lost to a season-ending Achilles injury in the Dallas game. Campbell said the <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/dan-campbell-says-brian-branchs-achilles-surgery-went-well" rel="noopener">surgery was successful</a>, according to NBC Sports.</p><p>“He’s had it repaired and it sounds like everything went well,” Campbell said. “They’re always going to give you the whatever — eight to 12 months or whatever that is, from the time of the surgery. But the surgery went well. Everything went well.”</p><p>But Campbell said the loss of Branch doesn’t help the team’s playoff hopes.</p><p>“Anytime you lose somebody like BB, it’s gonna hurt,” Campbell said. “He’s a productive player. He’s an outstanding football player, he’s a team guy, he’s a great locker room guy, teammates love him. So, you lose all of that.”</p><p>However, Campbell <a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/dan-campbell-losing-brian-branch-hurts-but-were-not-in-dire-straits-at-safety" rel="noopener">remained strongly positive</a>, according to NBC Sports.</p><p>“We’re good, man. . . . We got options here, but it’s like anything — you lose a good player, it hurts,” Campbell said. “But it’s not like we’re in dire straits.”</p><h2><b>ESPN puts Lions at 54% chance of reaching playoffs</b></h2><p>A lot of the Lions’ chances hinge on Jared Goff. He will need to play at a high level to help the team navigate a tough schedule. After the Rams, they play host to the Steelers before finishing with road division games against the Vikings and Bears.</p><p>Goff is still, after all these years, dealing with questions <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/lions-jared-goff-interrupts-reporter-after-repeated-questions-about-rams-were-still-talking-about-it" rel="noopener">about the trade</a> from the Rams to the Lions, according to foxnews.com.</p><p>“It feels like a long time ago, and I think we kind of talked about it earlier in the year of how it’s kind of my career now [I’ve] spent more time here. It certainly feels like a long time ago,” he said Wednesday, before being asked separately if he still feels an “emotional charge.”</p><p>“No, not so much anymore,” he responded. “And really, we played them in that playoff game, and it was such a big deal, and the next year we played them again, and that felt like even less, and so now it’s even further removed.”</p><p>Goff has been on a roll of late. He has thrown for over 250 yards in each of his last six games. And he has 11 touchdowns with only two interceptions in that stretch.</p><p>And his former head coach said he’s happy Goff has found a good place in Detroit.</p><p>“There were a lot of great memories [in Los Angeles] and a lot of really good ball that he did here that I’ll always cherish,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “I’m truly happy for him. He’s married and has a beautiful little girl now. It’s awesome to see. I think I’m reminded of those things, and then you’re also reminded of when you need to be able to grow up and handle things a little bit better. I’ll never run away from that. What I’m grateful for and appreciative of is that he’s got such grace towards me and understanding. I’m happy for Jared.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions playoff picture: Updated DVOA, The Athletic, ESPN model odds before Week 15

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-all-pro-safety-suffers-setback-in-knee-injury-recovery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions’ All-Pro safety suffers setback in knee injury recovery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kerby-Joseph-holds-knee-in-pain.jpg"><figcaption>© Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lions’ All-Pro safety suffers setback in knee injury recovery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-12T10:38:18-08:00">December 12th, 10:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-12T10:38:18-08:00">December 12th, 10:38am</time><address><a>RB Hayek</a>RB Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of ClutchPoints' editorial team after primarily focusing on betting content. In addition, he is also a published author of thriller novels, available on Amazon.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There was some optimism for a while, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-kerby-joseph-still-aiming-2025-return-from-knee-injury">Kerby Joseph had intended to return this season</a> after sustaining a knee injury. However, the all-pro safety has <a href="https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1999531419559657837" rel="noopener">suffered a setback</a> and may not return this season, according to a post by NFL beat writer Ari Meirov.</p><p>“All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury and could be placed on IR, which would end his regular season. Joseph, who led the NFL in interceptions last year, has not played since Week 6,” Meirov wrote on X.</p><p>It’s been a plethora of injuries on defense for the Lions for the second consecutive season. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-terrion-arnold-out-for-season-will-undergo-shoulder-surgery">Lions already lost Terrion Arnold</a> for the season, and keep substituting different players throughout their secondary. This is a massive blow to a defense that allows 23.8 points per game, which is middle-of-the-road. The last three games have illustrated how important Joseph is, as the Lions have allowed an average of 29.3 points per game. Significantly, the loss to the Green Bay Packers showed how much trouble the defense is in, as they could not make a stop.</p><p>With Joseph out, the Lions have had to try to fill his spot. So far, Thomas Harper and Avonte Maddox have filled in for him with mixed results. As the Lions attempt to navigate surviving without one of their best defensive players, they will face one of the best teams in the NFL this weekend.</p><p>As their season is on the line, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-bold-predictions-for-pivotal-week-15-clash-with-rams">Lions will face the Los Angeles Rams</a> with almost no hope of Joseph returning. When Joseph sustained his knee injury, the Lions were facing the Kansas City Chiefs and leading the NFC North. Since that game, Detroit has gone 4-3 in seven games. Although it’s not official yet, Joseph sustaining this setback ultimately means he likely might not return this season, even if the Lions were to make the playoffs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions’ All-Pro safety suffers setback in knee injury recovery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-kelvin-sheppard-warns-defense-matthew-stafford-lies');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kelvin Sheppard warns defense about Matthew Stafford’s ‘lies’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Kelvin-Sheppard.jpg"><figcaption>Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kelvin Sheppard warns defense about Matthew Stafford’s ‘lies’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T20:32:00-08:00">December 11th, 8:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T20:48:58-08:00">December 11th, 8:48pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is a veteran editor and writer for print and digital media. He also created and oversaw video and event production departments for legacy media brands. Mike is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions are coming off a big win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14. But Detroit’s banged up secondary faces a major challenge against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dan-campbell-crushing-reaction-brian-branch-season-ending-injury">Brian Branch suffered a season-ending Achilles injury</a> in the win over Dallas. It was the latest loss for a group already missing Terrion Arnold and Kerby Joseph.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-rams/rams-news-matthew-staffords-mvp-campaign-continues-breaks-tom-brady-record">Stafford continued his MVP-caliber season</a> last Sunday, shredding the Arizona Cardinals with three touchdowns in LA’s 45-17 rout. It was a strong bounce-back game after throwing two interceptions against the Carolina Panthers in Week 13. Now Stafford sets his sights on a depleted Lions secondary.</p><p>But Kelvin Sheppard is preparing his players for the Pro Bowl passer. And <a href="https://x.com/colton_pouncy/status/1999156864559292537" rel="noopener">his advice</a> leading up to the Week 15 clash stands out. “Don’t trust his eyes. He’s gonna lie to you,” Detroit’s defensive coordinator warned, per The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy.</p><h2><b>Will Matthew Stafford exploit Lions’ banged up secondary?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Matthew-Stafford.jpg"><figcaption>Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-rams/rams-news-puka-nacua-matthew-stafford-no-look-advice">Stafford has a reputation for no-look passes</a>. The 17th-year veteran makes the difficult-to-defend highlight-reel throws look easy. Beyond that, Stafford has a knack for manipulating a defense with his eyes. It’s helped him toss a league-high 35 touchdowns this season while throwing just four interceptions.</p><p>The Lions’ secondary could struggle on Sunday. Branch and Arnold are out for the season and Joseph has been sidelined by a knee injury. He’s yet to return to practice, putting his availability for Week 15 in serious jeopardy.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-claims-ex-texans-db-off-waivers">Lions added DB depth</a> ahead of the Rams game. The team claimed Jalen Mills off waivers after he was released by the Houston Texans. And Detroit signed veteran safety Damontae Kazee to the practice squad.</p><p>But it’s a matchup that Stafford and Sean McVay will look to exploit. Lions fans hope Detroit’s defensive backs can hold up against the Rams. And heeding Sheppard’s warning would certainly help.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kelvin Sheppard warns defense about Matthew Stafford’s ‘lies’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-bold-predictions-for-pivotal-week-15-clash-with-rams');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions bold predictions for pivotal Week 15 clash with Rams');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Lions-bold-predictions-for-pivotal-Week-15-clash-with-Rams.jpg"></figure><h1>Lions bold predictions for pivotal Week 15 clash with Rams</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-11T07:07:11-08:00">December 11th, 7:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-11T07:07:11-08:00">December 11th, 7:07am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions are feeling good after their big win in Week 14. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dan-campbell-drops-f-bombs-galore-fiery-postgame-speech-after-beating-cowboys">Detroit crushed Dallas 44-30</a> and raised their record to 8-5 on the season heading into Week 15. But the Lions are still <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cowboys-lions-playoff-odds-after-detroits-high-scoring-week-14-win-on-tnf">barely holding on in the NFC playoff race</a> despite last week’s victory.</p><p>Detroit currently has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/nfl-playoff-picture/2025/" rel="noopener">just a 39% chance to make the playoffs</a> per The Athletic’s playoff simulator. They are projected to finish the season 10-7 and barely miss out on the postseason as the No. 8 seed.</p><p>The odds are slim, but the Lions could still play their way into the playoffs. And anything can happen once you make it into the dance.</p><p>Unfortunately, Detroit would likely have to finish the regular season with four straight wins <i>and</i> get some help to make that happen. That could be a problem given their Week 15 matchup.</p><p>The Lions travel to LA to take on the Rams in one of the most exciting matchups on this week’s slate. They will be heavy underdogs since the Rams are arguably the best team in the entire league.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/why-lions-have-no-chance-to-slow-down-matthew-stafford-rams-offense-in-week-15">Do the Lions actually have a chance</a> against the Rams? Or is it inevitable that Detroit’s playoff hopes get extinguished before Christmas?</p><p>Below we will explore three Lions bold predictions ahead of their huge Week 15 battle with the Rams.</p><p><i><b>*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/football/?irad=356362&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(free trial)</a>*</b></i></p><h2><b>Jared Goff matches Matthew Stafford in passing touchdowns</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Goff-celebrates.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Jared Goff is quietly having a great 2025 season. At least as far as his stats are concerned.</p><p>The 31-year-old veteran has 3,334 passing yards with 26 touchdowns and five interceptions with four games left to play. Goff’s style of play never looks too flashy, but it gets the job done.</p><p>Goff tied for second in the NFL with touchdown passes. The only player ahead of him just so happens to be Matthew Stafford.</p><p>The former Lions quarterback is playing out of his mind in 20025. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/clutchpoints-week-15-nfl-mvp-power-rankings-josh-allen-jordan-love">Stafford is firmly in the MVP conversation</a>, and his presence in this game is one of the biggest reasons why the Lions might lose.</p><p>Goff is no slouch himself. I think this game has a much better chance of being a high-scoring shootout than being a one-sided beatdown. But football is a team game, so Goff will need his teammates to step up around him both on offense and defense.</p><p>I’m predicting that Goff will match Stafford for passing touchdowns in Week 15. Detroit’s defense is already compromised (more on that later) and the pressure will be on the offense to keep up with LA.</p><p>As long as Goff gets enough help, I think he can keep pace with Stafford.</p><h2><b>Jahmyr Gibbs has 200+ total yards, accounts for half of Detroit’s offensive yardage</b></h2><p>It is no secret that Detroit’s offense now runs through Jahmyr Gibbs.</p><p>Detroit’s third-year running back has 187 carries for 1,062 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns headed into Week 15. But he really shines as a receiver, hauling in 58 receptions for 474 yards and three touchdowns.</p><p>Gibbs already has more receptions than he did in 2024 and he may end up close to the same amount of carries too.</p><p>LA’s run defense unit is about as talented as Detroit’s which means it will be tough sledding for Gibbs on Sunday. He may need one or two explosive running plays to keep the ground game functional for the Lions.</p><p>I’m predicting that Gibbs will do just that. He will have over 200 total yards and will account for half of Detroit’s offensive yards.</p><p>But how realistic is it for Gibbs to account for at least half of Detroit’s offensive production? It’s possible, but it will require him to have a great game.</p><p>The last time Gibbs pulled this off was in Week 12 against the Giants. Detroit had 494 total yards, meaning Gibbs needed 247+ total yards to account for 50%. But Gibbs came through with 219 rushing yards and 45 receiving yards. It really helped that he had a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-jahmyr-gibbs-69-yard-hat-trick-td-first-play-ot-becomes-game-winner">69-yard touchdown run in overtime</a>.</p><p>The beauty of this prediction is that for it to hit, the Lions have to be thriving on offense. Otherwise there’s no chance it will happen.</p><h2><b>Lions win IF offense does not commit a turnover, defense forces one</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Dan-Campbell-1.jpg"><figcaption>Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Remember how I said that Detroit’s defense is compromised? That could end up being the most important factor in this game.</p><p>The Lions are without both Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch in their secondary. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-brian-branch-feared-suffered-achilles-injury-vs-cowboys">Branch tore his Achilles in Week 14</a>, ending his season. It’s possible that Joseph comes back at some point, but not in Week 15.</p><p>Detroit is also without cornerback Terrion Arnold, who is on injured reserve.</p><p>Put that together with QB Matthew Stafford, and the Lions could be in for a long day at the offense on the defensive side of the ball.</p><p>The pressure will be on Aidan Hutchinson and the defensive line to generate pressure on Stafford. If he is left comfortable in the pocket, he’ll carve up the Lions all day long.</p><p>I don’t think it is realistic to expect a great game from Detroit’s defense. But if they make one or two splash plays, it could be enough to make the difference.</p><p>I predict that Detroit will win this game <i>if</i> they can force at least one turnover on defense. The offense also needs to play a clean game and not turn the ball over.</p><p>If this doesn’t happen, the Rams likely win by at least one touchdown.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions bold predictions for pivotal Week 15 clash with Rams

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-claims-ex-texans-db-off-waivers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions claim ex-Texans DB off waivers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Jalen-Mills-1.jpg"><figcaption>Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lions claim ex-Texans DB off waivers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-10T15:15:42-08:00">December 10th, 3:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-10T15:29:49-08:00">December 10th, 3:29pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is a veteran editor and writer for print and digital media. He also created and oversaw video and event production departments for legacy media brands. Mike is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions dominated the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football in Week 14. Detroit improved to 8-5 with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dan-campbell-drops-f-bombs-galore-fiery-postgame-speech-after-beating-cowboys">convincing 44-30 victory</a>. The win keeps the team in the division race as the Lions trail the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears by a game.</p><p>However, Detroit’s secondary is banged up. Already missing Terrion Arnold and Kerby Joseph, the Lions lost <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dan-campbell-crushing-reaction-brian-branch-season-ending-injury">Brian Branch to a season-ending Achilles injury</a> on Thursday night. Fellow safety Thomas Harper also left the Week 14 matchup early with a concussion.</p><p>The Lions have responded to the rash of injuries by <a href="https://x.com/TomPelissero/status/1998873268217110718" rel="noopener">adding depth</a> at defensive back. On Wednesday, Detroit claimed Jalen Mills off waivers after the veteran safety was cut by the Houston Texans, per Tom Pelissero.</p><h2><b>Lions add veteran safety Jalen Mills amid injuries to secondary </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Jalen-Mills-2.jpg"><figcaption>David Reginek-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/houston-texans/texans-news-houston-jalen-mills-c-j-gardner-johnson-injury-jimmie-ward">Mills signed with the Texans</a> during training camp this year. After starting on Houston’s practice squad, he was elevated to the active roster and played in four games for the Texans. Mills had four total tackles in limited playing time with Houston.</p><p>The well-travelled defender will now join another playoff hopeful. The Lions are the fifth team Mills has played for in his 10-year career. He debuted with the Philadelphia Eagles as a seventh-round pick in 2016. Mills also spent time with the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Texans.</p><p>Earlier in the week, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-detroit-adds-veteran-safety-brian-branch-injury">Lions added veteran safety Damontae Kazee</a> to the practice squad. The team is also expecting Joseph to return from a knee injury in the coming weeks.</p><p>Detroit faces a tough task in Week 15. The Lions head to Los Angeles to take on the Rams Sunday. LA is currently tied with the Seattle Seahawks for the best record in the NFC at 10-3.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions claim ex-Texans DB off waivers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/why-lions-have-no-chance-to-slow-down-matthew-stafford-rams-offense-in-week-15');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Lions have no chance to slow down Matthew Stafford, Rams offense in Week 15');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Matthew-Stafford-of-the-Los-Angeles-Rams-4.jpg"><figcaption>Scott Kinser-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Lions have no chance to slow down Matthew Stafford, Rams offense in Week 15</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-10T12:53:00-08:00">December 10th, 12:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-10T12:53:00-08:00">December 10th, 12:53pm</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions are preparing for arguably their most important game of the season. Detroit is 8-5 headed into Week 15 and is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cowboys-lions-playoff-odds-after-detroits-high-scoring-week-14-win-on-tnf">barely hanging on in the NFC playoff picture</a>. The Lions have<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/nfl-playoff-picture/2025/" rel="noopener"> just a 39% chance to make the postseason</a> according to The Athletic’s playoff simulator. They need to be flawless during the next four weeks, and maybe get some help, to punch their ticket to the playoffs.</p><p>Unfortunately for the Lions, they have to play the NFL’s best team in Week 15.</p><p>Detroit is heading out to LA to do battle with a very familiar face. Matthew Stafford has the Rams feeling great in 2025. They are 10-3 and essentially have their spot in the playoffs already locked up. But the Rams have plenty to play for, as they are in a tight race with the Seahawks (10-3) and 49ers (9-4) for the NFC West title.</p><p>The Lions are facing their best opponent of the season, and I’m not sure they’re prepared for it.</p><p>Below we’ll discuss why the Lions have almost no chance of slowing down Stafford and the Rams in Week 15.</p><h2><b>Matthew Stafford is a legit MVP candidate in 2025</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Matthew-Stafford-on-Nov.-23-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The main reason why I don’t think the Lions have a shot is Matthew Stafford.</p><p>Stafford is playing out of his mind during the 2025 season. He is unquestionably playing the best football, at least during the regular season, of his entire career at age 37. There’s a reason <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-rams/rams-news-matthew-staffords-mvp-campaign-continues-breaks-tom-brady-record">why he is a contender to win MVP</a> this year.</p><p>The veteran gunslinger has 3,354 passing yards for 35 touchdowns and just four interceptions through 13 games.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/los-angeles-rams/rams-news-bonkers-matthew-stafford-stat-good-news-for-mvp-hopes">Stafford has logged several impressive statistics</a> this season that show he is playing like an all-time great quarterback. And unlike his early days in Detroit, he’s not dragging a talentless team on his back.</p><p>Los Angeles has a strong running game with a solid offensive line and a two-headed monster in the backfield with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. Stafford also has two great receivers, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, who can do some damage in the receiving game.</p><p>Add on an elite offensive mind in Sean McVay, and it is easy to understand why the Rams are Super Bowl contenders.</p><p>But it’s not just LA’s strengths that could make Sunday’s game a bloodbath.</p><h2><b>Detroit’s secondary is injured, vulnerable ahead of Week 15</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Brian-Branch-.jpg"><figcaption>Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Rams would be a tough matchup for the Lions on a good day. But LA will be catching Detroit in an incredibly vulnerable state.</p><p>Tell me if you’ve heard this before, but Detroit’s defense is dealing with several important injuries ahead of the playoffs. The Lions have been without safety Kerby Joseph since Week 6. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-kerby-joseph-still-aiming-2025-return-from-knee-injury">Joseph is apparently still aiming for a 2025 return</a>, but there is no sight of him days before Detroit’s next game.</p><p>Meanwhile, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-brian-branch-feared-suffered-achilles-injury-vs-cowboys">Lions just lost Brian Branch to a season-ending Achilles injury</a> on Thursday Night Football. That puts Detroit’s two best secondary players out of the picture, which completely changes the entire defense.</p><p>To make matters worse, the Lions are without cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.. They are both on injured reserve.</p><p>Thankfully the Lions do have D.J. Reed, Amik Robertson, and Rock Ya-Sin at cornerback. That gives Detroit a fighting chance against Nacua and Adams, but still leaves them at a disadvantage.</p><p>When looking at raw accounting stats, Detroit’s defense is okay against the pass. But as injuries continue to mount, it feels inevitable that Stafford and the Rams will pick on the Lions’ biggest weakness.</p><h2><b>How can the Lions beat the Rams in Week 15?</b></h2><p>But let’s not pretend that the result is already decided. This is the NFL after all, where any team can win on any given Sunday.</p><p>Plus the Lions will never give up with Dan Campbell as their head coach.</p><p>Detroit’s path to victory in this game will require their offense to be at the height of their powers. The defense will likely give up plenty of points, and the offense needs to be ready to answer when that happens.</p><p>If Jared Goff and all his friends come ready to play, and Detroit’s defense has some plays bounce their way, then there’s a chance they can win.</p><p>But the most likely outcome is that the Lions’ playoff hopes get extinguished by Stafford and the Rams on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Lions have no chance to slow down Matthew Stafford, Rams offense in Week 15

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-rumors-espn-insider-makes-bombshell-jahmyr-gibbs-contract-prediction');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions rumors: ESPN insider makes bombshell Jahmyr Gibbs contract prediction');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Jahmyr-Gibbs.jpg"><figcaption>Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lions rumors: ESPN insider makes bombshell Jahmyr Gibbs contract prediction</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-10T08:07:51-08:00">December 10th, 8:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-10T08:07:51-08:00">December 10th, 8:07am</time><address><a>Yago Antunes</a>Yago Antunes is a Brazilian journalist and writer with experience covering esports, the NFL, NBA, and soccer. He has contributed to online outlets and reported on major international tournaments, building a strong background in sports journalism and digital media while displaying his passion about storytelling and sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Thursday night in Detroit felt like a statement more than just another win. The Lions throttled the Cowboys 44-30 to move to 8-5, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-jamhyr-gibbs-td-feat-1952-cowboys">Jahmyr Gibbs was at the center of everything.</a></p><p>The second-year back punched in three rushing touchdowns, becoming the first Lions player since Cloyce Box in 1952 to have three separate games with three or more scores.</p><p>He finished with 43 rushing yards on 12 carries, plus 77 receiving yards on seven catches, once again looking like the most dynamic weapon on the field.</p><p>That kind of production is exactly why ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/47257276/nfl-week-15-buzz-news-updates-fantasy-intel-questions-predictions#notes" rel="noopener">is already framing</a> Gibbs as the next mega-extension on Detroit’s books. The Lions are closing in on $1 billion committed to their core, and four more homegrown stars are soon eligible for new deals: Gibbs, linebacker Jack Campbell, safety Brian Branch, and tight end Sam LaPorta.</p><p>Branch and LaPorta are both out for the year, which could push their negotiations back while the team waits to see how they return from a torn Achilles and back surgery, respectively. That reality, per ESPN, leaves more immediate flexibility to take care of Gibbs.</p><p>The expectation in league circles is that Detroit will try to make him the highest-paid running back in football in the near future.</p><p>Coaches have steadily expanded their role in the passing game, feeding him 31 targets over the last month alone, and Dan Campbell summed up the organization’s belief after the win over Dallas: “He’s just getting started.” The sense is the Lions will push hard to lock Gibbs in, explore the right number for Campbell, and take a longer view with Branch and LaPorta.</p><p>Gibbs’ production is already brushing up against franchise legend territory. His three-score outburst against Dallas pushed him to 47 career touchdowns before his 24th birthday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/lions-news-jahmyr-gibbs-barry-sanders-nfl-history-tds-cowboys">tying Barry Sanders for the most by any Lion</a> before turning 24.</p><p>With his birthday not arriving until March, it would be a shock if he doesn’t move past Sanders soon.</p><p>Detroit’s front office now faces an expensive but welcome problem. If Gibbs keeps stacking historic nights while the Lions chase another postseason berth, the “rumor” of a record-setting deal may start to look more like a deadline.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions rumors: ESPN insider makes bombshell Jahmyr Gibbs contract prediction

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dan-campbell-crushing-reaction-brian-branch-season-ending-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions HC Dan Campbell’s crushing reaction to Brian Branch’s season-ending injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Brian-Branch-.jpg"><figcaption>Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Lions HC Dan Campbell’s crushing reaction to Brian Branch’s season-ending injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-08T12:10:29-08:00">December 8th, 12:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-08T12:10:29-08:00">December 8th, 12:10pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While the Detroit Lions moved to 8-5 with their Week 14 win over the Dallas Cowboys, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-brian-branch-feared-suffered-achilles-injury-vs-cowboys">lost safety Brian Branch to a season-ending Achilles injury</a>. Head coach Dan Campbell didn’t hold back when discussing that injury’s impact.</p><p>Branch entered the year off of a Pro Bowl nomination and was playing like one of the best safeties in the league. Campbell <a href="https://x.com/colton_pouncy/status/1998107139639034105" rel="noopener">knows his loss will be a major blow</a> to the Lions at large, via Colton Pouncy of The Athletic.</p><p>“Anytime you lose somebody like BB, it’s gonna hurt,” Campbell said. “He’s a productive player. He’s an outstanding football player, he’s a team guy, he’s a great locker room guy, teammates love him. So, you lose all of that.”</p><p>In the 12 games Branch did appear in during the 2025 season, the safety put up 75 tackles, nine passes defended and 2.5 sacks. Furthermore, Branch’s <a href="https://www.pff.com/nfl/players/brian-branch/123907" rel="noopener">77.5 grade</a> from Pro Football Focus ranked eighth/93 safeties. He ranked top 10 in both pass rush (81.5, fifth) and run defense (82.6, fourth). The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-detroit-adds-veteran-safety-brian-branch-injury">Lions signed Damontae Kazee</a> to help replace Branch, but Detroit was never going to find a true one-for-one replica.</p><p>Regardless, the Lions defense must find a way to step up without Branch. They are entering Week 15 ranked 15th in total defense, allowing 323.9 yards per game. At 8-5, Detroit cannot afford many more losses. The lack of Branch won’t be accepted as an excuse.</p><p>Still, Campbell can’t just ignore what Branch brings to the franchise. He has become a part of the team’s defensive core and has helped given the unit an identity. He’ll hope when Branch returns to the field he brings the same level of firepower.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOUCHDOWNS	POSITION RANK
0	0	0	-

2025 SEASON STATS
RECEPTIONS	RECEIVING YDS	TOUCHDOWNS	POSITION RANK
0	0	0	-

Dominic
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Dominic
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