The Numbers Don’t Lie: This Offensive Line Should Be Much Better
The numbers are in, and they tell a story every Lions fan already knows. Our offensive line was bad in 2025. Really bad.
Jared Goff got sacked 38 times, which was more than any other season in his 10-year career. He also absorbed more hits than ever before. The man was running for his life out there, and we all know Goff moves about as fast as a refrigerator on roller skates.
Here’s the thing though: the numbers also show exactly why this mess should be fixable.
The Left Side Was a Disaster
Taylor Decker allowed 33 total pressures, including 28 hurries. Christian Mahogany struggled with pass blocking, giving up six sacks and 27 total pressures. The left side of our line was getting Goff killed on a weekly basis.
But here’s where Brad Holmes shows his genius again. Moving Penei Sewell to left tackle changes everything overnight.
Sewell only allowed 19 total pressures from the right side. Two sacks, six hits, 11 hurries. Those are elite numbers. He’s one of the best tackles in the NFL, and now he’s protecting Goff’s blind side.
The Rookie Could Be Special
Blake Miller comes in at right tackle with college numbers that look promising: two sacks allowed, two hits, 10 hurries for 14 total pressures. Obviously college stats don’t translate directly, but the projection is there.
Tate Ratledge should improve in year two. He wasn’t terrible as a rookie with 24 total pressures allowed, and second-year jumps are real for offensive linemen.
The center position looks upgraded with Cade Mays, who allowed zero sacks and only 13 total pressures.
One Big Question Mark Remains
Left guard is still a mess. Mahogany’s 27 pressures allowed were concerning, and there are legitimate questions about whether he keeps the job. Miles Frazier and Juice Scruggs could challenge him.
But here’s the thing: whoever wins that spot will benefit massively from having Sewell next to them instead of Decker.
Even with young players and inevitable growing pains, it’s hard to see this line being as bad as it was in 2025. The upgrade at left tackle alone should cut Goff’s pressure rate significantly.
This is what good franchises do. They identify problems, make smart moves, and trust their evaluations. Holmes moved his best lineman to the most important position and drafted talent to fill the gaps.
Will the left guard situation work itself out, or are we setting up Goff for another season of running for his life? Drop your predictions below.
Finally someone gets it. Sewell at left tackle is exactly the move we needed. This line is gonna look so different next year and Goff’s gonna have actual time to throw. Holmes knows what he’s doing and I’m all in on this rebuild.
I like what Holmes is trying to do, I really do. But left guard is still a massive concern and we’re basically hoping a rookie doesn’t completely fall apart on the right side. Miller better be as advertised or we’re just swapping one problem for another.
You know what, this feels different than the old days. We used to just let these problems fester and complain about it for years. Now they’re actually making moves to fix things. Sewell protecting Goff’s blind side is smart football and it reminds me of when we actually had competent people making decisions.
The Sewell move is genius and I don’t even need to see it happen to know it works. We get our best lineman on the most important spot, we get younger at right tackle, and suddenly Goff has a fighting chance. This is how you build a line.