The Detroit Lions were an offensive juggernaut in 2024, a well-drilled and superbly oiled machine that seemed able to put up 35 points almost at will. Lucky, because once stud pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson went down with a season-ending injury, his fellow defensive players seemed to rush to join him on the sidelines. The Lions suffered key injury after key injury on the defensive side of the ball, and the need to bring in reinforcements is as plain as the nose on my face and just as difficult to ignore.
The absence of Hutchinson is clear when one considers the splits between him being on the field and on the sidelines.