Story byLARRY LAGETue, January 6, 2026 at 2:27 AM UTC·4 min readALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — By missing the NFL playoffs, the Detroit Lions did not meet their expectations or preseason predictions. Detroit's disappointing season ended with a 19-16 win against the NFC North champion Chicago Bears on the road Sunday, sweeping a series that showed what Dan Campbell's team was capable of during an uneven season. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“We fell short this year,” Campbell said Monday. “We all acknowledge that.”The Lions (9-8) started strong, routing the Bears 52-21 in Week 2 and scoring 34-plus points in each of the next three games to seemingly validate their status as Super Bowl contenders with a 4-1 record. Detroit, though, could not stay in a groove. The Lions' three-game skid in December took the stakes out of the final regular-season game and sealed a fourth-place finish in the NFC North for the two-time defending division champions. Campbell took responsibility, giving himself a failing grade.“I give myself a freakin’ F,” he said. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEven though the Lions went to Chicago already eliminated from the postseason, Campbell came away with confirmation the franchise has prideful players.“To have guys lay it on the line when you say you’re not playing for anything, that speaks volumes,” Campbell said to the team after the game in the locker room.
