After the Lions let a 17-point halftime lead slip away in last year's NFC Championship Game, coach Dan Campbell delivered a gut-punch of a message to his team: "This may have been our only shot," as relayed by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Videos by FanBuzz
Fast forward a year, and that prophecy is starting to ring alarm bells. With Detroit exiting the playoffs without even making it back to the conference title game, there's a very real sense that the window could be closing fast.
Now, just days after the heartbreaking divisional round loss to the Commanders, the Lions are facing a major shake-up on their coaching staff. As reported by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Detroit has lost five assistant coaches in just six days—an exodus that raises serious questions about the future of this team.
Gone are offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, defensive line coach Terrell Williams, receivers coach Antwaan Randle El, and assistant quarterbacks coach J.T. Barrett. The turnover could be far from over as other staff members may eventually follow suit. That means Campbell and the Lions will have some serious rebuilding to do—not just with their roster, but with their coaching staff, too.
There's no sugarcoating it: this is a pivotal moment for Detroit. The Lions have shown flashes of promise, but with so much uncertainty ahead, the pressure is on Campbell and his new-look coaching staff to keep the momentum alive. If they don't get this right, Campbell's ominous words could come to pass sooner than anyone would like to admit.
- More NFL | All coverage from FanBuzz
