INDIANAPOLIS — When Peyton Manning watched the 2024 NFL season, he saw the 2000s-era Colts in the story of at least one team. Manning texted Lions head coach Dan Campbell after Detroit’s upset loss to Washington in the divisional round, offering the Lions a word of encouragement.

After the best regular season in franchise history, the Detroit Lions stumbled in the playoffs, losing their divisional round matchup to the Washington Commanders in a shocking upset. The season felt like one big missed opportunity for the Lions,

The best regular season in Detroit Lions history was quickly erased when a depleted defense could not stop Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in a home playoff game. Dan Campbell's rebuild has been super impressive but the Lions have fallen short of the Super Bowl in two consecutive years.