NFC North · 2026 season

DetroitLions

6-2record2ndin North#5NFC seed+33point diffW4streak

PatriotsSun, Nov 15 · 9:30 AM ETDET -2.5 · O/U 51.5

What changed · Last 4 games (weeks 5-9) vs 4 games before (weeks 1-4)

Biggest improvementRun defenseEPA per rush allowed29th→4th

Over the last 4 games the run defense has allowed -0.25 EPA per rush (71 rushes), 4th among 32 teams over their own last 4. In the 4 games before: +0.01 EPA per rush (93 rushes), 29th.

Season EPA ranks ↓Usage shiftJuice Scruggs, OLoffensive snap share100%→66%

Juice Scruggs has played 66% of offensive snaps over the last 4 games, down from 100% in the 4 games before. On the field in 3 of 4 and 4 of 4; a game without a snap counts as zero.

Snap counts, week by week ↓

At a glanceUpdated Nov 10, 2026, 9:52 AM ET

The Detroit Lions are 6-2 in the 2026 season, 2nd in the NFC North and the No. 5 seed in the NFC, with a point differential of +33. On offense they rank 6th in the league in EPA per play (+0.102); on defense they rank 28th (+0.080 allowed). The Pigskin Nightly model gives them a 76% chance to make the playoffs and 2.7% to win the Super Bowl. The Detroit Lions play next at home against the New England Patriots on Sun, Nov 15, 9:30 AM ET (Week 10), on Fox.

What is the Detroit Lions record?

6-2, 2nd in the NFC North. Home 4-0, road 2-2, division 2-0, conference 4-1, current streak W4. Points: 222 scored, 189 allowed.

Who do the Detroit Lions play next?

The Detroit Lions play next at home against the New England Patriots on Sun, Nov 15, 9:30 AM ET (Week 10), on Fox.

What are the Detroit Lions' playoff chances?

76% to make the playoffs, 28% to win the NFC North, 8% to earn the No. 1 seed and the bye, 7.2% to win the NFC and 2.7% to win the Super Bowl, from 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season (projected record 10.8-6.2).

Who is the Detroit Lions starting quarterback?

Jared Goff is first on the Lions depth chart at quarterback, with Joshua Dobbs behind.

Who is injured for the Detroit Lions?

Out, doubtful or on injured reserve: Cade Mays (C, out, ankle), D.J. Reed (CB, out, hip), DJ Wonnum (LB, out, concussion), Jacob Saylors (RB, out, neck), Kerby Joseph (S, out, knee), Isiah Pacheco (RB, injured reserve, back), Jack Campbell (LB, injured reserve, neck) and Jimmy Rolder (LB, injured reserve, hamstring).

How good is the Detroit Lions offense and defense?

Offense: 6th in EPA per play (+0.102), 5th on dropbacks, 13th on runs, success rate 48.7%. Defense: 28th in EPA allowed (+0.080), 27th against the pass, 12th against the run.

Cite this page

Pigskin Nightly, “Detroit Lions 2026: record, EPA, depth chart and injuries”, https://pigskinnightly.com/teams/lions (updated 2026-11-10).

How we calculate Plain-text version Report an error

From the Lions Desk

Open the desk →

The VerdictLions earned 19-9 in Miami, with a defense doing the work and a thin offenseThe snaps gave Detroit a 92% deserved win probability against Miami, though the offense barely cleared break-even on EPA.Nov 10, 2026 · 3 min read The TapeLions turn a third-quarter interception and a Jahmyr Gibbs touchdown into a 19-9 win in MiamiNov 8, 2026 · 3 min read Scouting ReportLions' top-six offense meets the league's worst defense in MiamiNov 7, 2026 · 2 min read

The Wire

The Verdict · 2026

The Lions, judged from every snap

Due to fall+1.3 wins above what the snaps earned

Real record6-2

Deserved4.7wins

Looking back, not ahead. Deserved wins grade how well a team has played, from every snap of the games already played. They are not a forecast of the games to come. How well they hold up

+1.3 luck wins · 3rd luckiest in the NFL · net EPA per snap 13th

Bars: deserved win probability, from the snaps50% line

Bottom lineEvery result so far matched the play or was a coin flip.

How to read this chart

The track:: solid dot = real wins, ring = deserved wins (the record the snaps earned), on a scale from 0 to 8 games. The colored gap between them is the luck.
The strip:: one tile per game, oldest first, with the opponent and the score. The bar is how often the Lions would win a replay of the same snaps; above the middle line they deserved to win.
The label:: Earned or Fair loss = the result matched the play; Coin flip = it could have gone either way; Lucky / Robbed = the result went against the play.

One-score games4-1decided by 8 or fewer

Chicken Index20%5 go calls advised

Flags, net+81win prob. points · 2nd

Bounce & kick luck+18.6points · +2.3 a game

Latest ruling · Week 9

Lions earned it: the snaps said Lions by 7.5, a deserved win probability of 92%.

From the Lions DeskLions earned 19-9 in Miami, with a defense doing the work and a thin offenseThe snaps gave Detroit a 92% deserved win probability against Miami, though the offense barely cleared break-even on EPA.

From the Lab

The lab file

All Lab tools →

Scheme DNALeast shotgun rate, most play action in the leagueClosest twin: Raiders (71%)Clock IQ4th of 32 at managing the clockDan Campbell · 2 timeouts burned · 0 halves left on the table Deserved Standings

Real56-2

Deserved–4.7-3.3

In a playoff spot the snaps did not earnSeeds in the NFC, real and as if every game went to the team that deserved it Market vs Snaps−2.4The market overrates themPoints a game the snaps beat the line · 3-4-1 against the spread Sliding Doors2losses that one coin-flip play could have flipped40 points of win probability lost to those plays, 179 saved in wins

The season, week by week

Offense EPA/playDefense EPA prevented

Wk 6Bye

Bars above the line are good: offense adding expected points, defense taking them away. The middle line is league average zero.Rest days and miles traveled, all 32 →

The road ahead

Playoff odds, all 32 →

Playoff oddsLions6-2 · proj 10.8-6.2 · 4th in NFC76%▲ 7 pts

Win it all 2.7% · likeliest seed No. 5 (18%)Full odds →

Next 5 · schedule leftNo. 9 hardest of 32 · avg opp +0.8 →

Regular season · rank among 32 teams

Where the Lions stand

Offense

EPA per play+0.1026th

Dropback EPA+0.2115th

Rush EPA-0.04813th

Success rate48.7%4th

Defense

EPA allowed+0.08028th

Pass EPA allowed+0.16527th

Rush EPA allowed-0.10512th

Success allowed43.9%19th

Pass rate over expected: -2.5% (19th most pass-heavy given down, distance and score). 517 offensive plays logged.

Fantasy points allowed per game: QB 23.8 (1st most) · RB 18.5 (30th most) · WR 35.8 (9th most) · TE 25.4 (1st most). Defense vs position

Who produces

EPA from the nflverse play-by-play model

Quarterback · 298 dropbacksJ.Goff+0.201EPA / dropback+1.3CPOE7.5aDOT50%success

Quarterback · 1 dropbacksJ.Fox+3.144EPA / dropback+38.5CPOE9.0aDOT100%success

Rushing	Car	Yds	TD	EPA/car	Success
J.Gibbs RB	178	847	9	-0.02	48%
S.Vaki RB	30	135	0	-0.10	40%

Targets	Tgt	Target share	Air share	aDOT	Yds	TD	EPA/tgt
A.St. Brown WR	86	32%	35%	8.4	666	5	+0.28
S.LaPorta TE	49	18%	13%	5.7	399	3	+0.68
J.Williams WR	46	17%	34%	15.3	468	5	+0.54
J.Gibbs RB	45	17%	1%	0.6	276	2	+0.02
I.TeSlaa WR	23	9%	13%	11.4	206	0	+0.39
S.Vaki RB	8	3%	1%	2.0	64	0	+0.40
B.Wright TE	6	2%	1%	3.5	31	0	+0.17
T.Conklin TE	3	1%	1%	5.3	11	0	-0.50

Depth chart, on the field

QuestionableOut / IRFull roster →

Offense3WR 1TE

64CMays Scruggs

73LGMahogany Frazier

58LTSewell Manu

16QBGoff Dobbs

0RBGibbs Vaki

DefenseBase 4-3 D

36FSClark Cisco

4LCBReed Dorsey

97LDEHutchinson Moore

54LDTMcNeill Gill-Howard

35MLBBritt Ogbongbemiga

21NBMcCreary Izien

2RCBRakestraw Jr.Ya-Sin

93RDELacy Wonnum ·

91RDTWilliams Onwuzurike

44SLBRodriguez White

32SSBranch Abney II

55WLBBarnes Bachie

HolderJack Fox Kick ReturnerDeAndre Carter Long SnapperHogan Hatten PunterJack Fox Place KickerJake Bates Punt ReturnerDeAndre Carter

Snap counts

Share of team snaps, every weekThis week's starters →

Offense	1	2	3	4	5	7	8	9
Penei SewellT	100	100	100	100	95	100	100	100
Tate RatledgeOL	100	100	100	100	95	100	100	100
Jared GoffQB	100	100	100	100	95	100	100	100
Blake MillerT	100		100	100	100	100	100	100
Juice ScruggsOL	100	100	100	100	95		69	100
Miles FrazierOL					5			100
Sam LaPortaTE	81	98	92	79	89	97	93	90
Jameson WilliamsWR	84	97	82	99	89	84	83	83
Amon-Ra St. BrownWR	90	95	74	96	86	78	72	75
Jahmyr GibbsRB	74	83	69	87	70	90	76	68
Brock WrightTE	51	26	58	35	67	56	76	63
Isaac TeSlaaWR	68	75	48	82	39	49	36	53
Sione VakiRB	29	17	31	17	35	13	28	32
Tyler ConklinTE	13	6			12	12	31	24

Defense	1	2	3	4	5	7	8	9
Chuck ClarkS	46	86	100	100	99	82	100	100
Derrick BarnesLB	86	100	86	60	82	100	53	100
Brian BranchDB						67	43	100
Roger McCrearyCB	43	24	97	100	100	100	77	98
Malcolm RodriguezLB	22	20	29	37	32		28	96
Aidan HutchinsonDE	83	85	97	93	90	87	94	89
Alim McNeillDL	92	89	73	83	71	78	75	79
Rock Ya-SinCB	99	95	20			21	45	67
Derrick MooreDE	20	23	14	11	27	30	42	58
Trevor NowaskeLB	9	7	50	48	12	21	49	53
Skyler Gill-HowardDL	52	32	50	43	48	46	51	49
Tyleik WilliamsDL	39	64	45	67	48	51	47	46
Tyler LacyDL	17	49	29	44	36	31	38	39
Ennis RakestrawCB			35	41	48	31	2	35