We’ve got the guys, now we need the (injury) luck

The Den
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The roster looks like it’s in really good shape heading into summer. Starters are mostly great and depth is pretty solid at most positions, in my opinion. That leads us to the next part of the equation - luck. Or in the Lions case specifically, injury luck.

It’s been talked about before and I’ve laid this out in another thread, but I think it really deserves its own thread. If your team is injured, you’re almost certainly not going to the Super Bowl. The Lions have been historically injured over the last two years. So much so that they’re the only two teams to be injured as much as they have and still come out of the season with winning records.

Let’s take a look at the last few Superbowls and where those teams ranked in Adjusted Games Lost:

2025: NE (#1) - SEA (#3) (Lions were #31)
2024: PHI (#2) - KC (#14) (Lions were #25)
2023: SF (#2) - KC (#6) (Lions were #18)
2022: PHI (#3) - KC (#4)
2021: LAR (#5) - CIN (#7)
2020: TB (#1) - KC (#9)

Every single team except 1 is in the top 10. And a majority sit pretty high in the Top 10. Only the Chiefs have made it to a SB outside of the Top 10 in 2024.

The formula for the Lions is pretty easy. They have the players. The system has proven to work even when injured. They just have to stay healthy to have a real shot.

Here’s to hoping the Lions offseason changes lead to less injuries. If they do, our odds for a parade down Woodward increase dramatically. :clinking_beer_mugs:

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We also need Kelvin Sheppard to make a big step forward in how he runs his defense.

And we also need Mays and Miller to have high floors from week 1.

And we need Drew Petzing to be more towards the Ben Johnson end of the scale than the John Morton end.

But I agree with the OP, the roster is good enough, which is the hardest part IMO.

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Me - Rest the entire team until the playoffs.

Coach - But how do we make the playoffs resting the entire team?

Me - Good point. Turn injuries off like Madden.

Coach - This ain’t a video game punk

Me - Okay well find a genie in a bottle and rub her the right way

Coach - Guaranteed super bowl!

genie in a bottle GIF by Christina Aguilera

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I grew up wanting to rub her the right way watching that video :face_with_peeking_eye:

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On a serious note. Maybe, just maybe we are due for some good luck. At least we moved on from a lot of older and often injured guys. Like if we would have brought Davenport back I might have lost it

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Thanks for posting this, bro. I’ve known this, but not the extent of it. Great to see it in print.

Injuries are, and have been, BY FAR the biggest problem we’ve had. First “risk” Holmes took that I felt was really impactful and worthy of judgement was rolling with T-Deck & GG last year. He learned from it…

Lots of depth and talent on this roster. OL is how we play bully ball, and that energy transfers to the defense as well.

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I am so heartbroken that 2024 team isn’t a Super Bowl champ. Only #1 seed the past 4-5 years out of the NFC to not make it. Like 3rd best in overall DVOA this century after week 8… that team was a juggernaut and deserved a Super Bowl, but injuries screwed us. The fact we went 15-2 with that many minutes lost to starters says it all.

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Does “headed in the right direction” mean
a) They are not becoming more injured?
b) They are on pace to return to form 100%
c) Something in the middle of that?