Aidan Hutchinson on Lions 4th quarter mentality
Hutchinson said the Lions offense putting up points allows the team’s defense to play more aggressively getting after the opposing quarterback.
The Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams face off in another massive game between NFC playoff contenders (4:25 p.m., Fox) in Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season.
The Lions (8-5) need a win to stay within reach of the Chicago Bears for the final playoff spot, while the Super Bowl favorite, according to sportsbooks, Rams (10-3) look to keep hold of the conference’s No. 1 seed.
Of course, it’s the fourth time the Lions and Rams meet since the blockbuster 2021 Matthew Stafford-for-Jared Goff trade, which set new courses for both franchises and has turned out well for each.
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Now to the game picks, where six Free Press sports writers give their Lions-Rams score predictions:
Dave Birkett
The Lions have alternated wins and losses for more than two months now and I don’t see that changing with four weeks left in the regular season. Stafford is my MVP and the Rams have one of the best defenses in football.
The gap between the Lions and Rams isn’t so big that this is “Mission Impossible,” but I think the Lions need an extra possession or two to win and that’ll be hard to come by without star safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. If the Lions lose this game, they’ll probably need to win out to make the playoffs. The pick: Rams 31, Lions 24.
Carlos Monarrez
The Rams have everything going for them: Stafford is playing at an MVP level, he has two great receivers, an efficient run game and they haven’t lost at home in more than two months on their way to the best record in the NFC. But their defense isn’t great and SoFi really isn’t much of a home-field advantage. The Lions, with their inconsistent offense and injured secondary, shouldn’t win this game, but they’re well-rested and primed to pull off a big upset coming off a big win over Dallas. The pick: Lions 36, Rams 31.
Goff will try his best to make this a shootout, but the Rams and Stafford won’t be looking ahead to a critical matchup against the Seattle Seahawks with such a dangerous Lions team coming to town. This might end up a high-scoring game with two high-powered offenses matching up, but unlike they did in last Thursday’s win against the Dallas Cowboys, the Lions won’t be able dictate the terms. The pick: Rams 34, Lions 24.
[ How Lions built their offense around the Matthew Stafford trade haul ]
Rainer Sabin
A strong case can be made that the Rams are the best team in the NFL right now. They have an offense and defense both ranked in the top five in scoring. Beating them would be a challenge for any team, let alone one that is missing so many key pieces like these Lions are.
With Branch and Joseph out, the Lions’ safety situation is dire. That is particularly worrisome because Detroit will face Stafford, their former star and now a leading MVP candidate.
There are other bad signs heading into this matchup. The Lions have alternated between wins and losses in their past nine games. Given the Lions beat the Cowboys the last time they took the field, that means … The pick: Rams 31, Lions 23.
Jeff Seidel
I know everything is stacked against the Lions and it would be far more logical to pick the Rams. The Lions are facing Stafford, who is playing at an extremely high level. The Lions have injuries on defense and offense and have to play on the road.
But here’s the thing about the Lions: they always seem to play their best with their backs against the wall, when they gamble and it pays off. Maybe it’s just a hunch. Or maybe it’s based on something Aidan Hutchinson said after playing Dallas. But I think they found a formula against the Cowboys. The pick: Lions 35, Rams 32.
Shawn Windsor
Dan Campbell will be tempted to go for it on fourth down to protect his struggling defense and keep up with Los Angeles’ potent offense. But he won’t. He’ll build on what he did against Dallas and take the points and/or the punts, and it’ll keep his team in the game until the end, when Stafford makes one last play to end his personal, two-game losing streak against his former team. The pick: Rams 34, Lions 30.