ArticleScore 100
Detroit Lions 2026 Penalties: Discipline & Hidden Edges
Jun 29, 2026Joe GibbsSharp Football Analysis
Getting things ready
Loading Fantasy Redzone…
Article text
The following is an excerpt from Warren Sharp's 2026 Football Preview . In addition to Warren's deep, detailed write-up on all 32 NFL teams, each chapter features page after page of full-color charts, stats, and heatmaps, as well as penalty analysis from Joe Gibbs. Click here for a full FREE chapter from the 2026 Football Preview . Penalties are an under-discussed aspect of NFL success and failure. Average teams can become playoff contenders with good discipline, and good teams can become great simply by winning the penalty battle. Let's look at how the Detroit Lions performed from a penalty perspective in 2025 and where they can improve in 2026. Detroit Lions 2026 Penalty Outlook: Discipline, Flags & Hidden Edges The Good The Lions ranked as one of the least penalized third-down offenses in 2025. A big reason why is that Detroit averaged the fewest offensive third-down penalties per game. This statistic correlates to landing a playoff berth, with eight of the 10 least penalized teams in this category making the playoffs in 2025. Unfortunately for the Lions, they were one of the two outliers. In home games, the defense ranked second in generating offensive holding on opposing teams. Detroit recorded the largest home versus road splits of any team in this category, ranking second at Ford Field compared to 31st on the road. The Bad The Lions ranked as a top-five penalized defense for the second consecutive season. The Detroit defense averaged the most third-down penalties per game over the course of the 2025 season. A byproduct of the above point, the Lions surrendered 40% of automatic first downs via penalty on third-down plays, above the league average of 31.6%. The Lions ended 2025 with the largest net negative disadvantage for automatic first downs via penalty on third-down plays. The primary issues for Detroit were ranking No. 1 for defensive holding, with 40% coming on third-down plays. In addition to leading the league in this category, Detroit ranked third in declined defensive holding calls, with the bulk also coming on third down. The defense dropped from a top-five unit at generating penalties on opposing offenses in 2024 to a bottom-five unit in 2025. The offense was underwhelming at generating automatic first downs via penalty, ranking 31st in per-game average, ahead of only the Dolphins. This is a holdover from Ben Johnson's offense, where Detroit always ranked in the lower tier in this category. Grade: B The Lions entered 2025 as a Super Bowl contender, but underperformed in an up-and-down second half of the season, ultimately finishing with a disappointing 9-8 record. The front office wasted no time addressing their shortcomings along the offensive line, which had been the strength of the team in the Dan Campbell era. Detroit is banking on those moves solving the blocking issues that plagued the unit last season and returning the offensive line to the engine room that forms the foundation for offensive fireworks. The Lions benefit from a manageable schedule and go into the season under the radar compared to the hype surrounding them last year, which may be a blessing in disguise. Those factors should contribute to a “bounce-back” double-digit win season for Detroit, perhaps making the Lions the favorites in arguably the NFL’s most competitive division. This analysis continues in the 2026 Football Preview Order Warren Sharp's 2026 Football Preview to Get Penalty Analysis for All 32 NFL Teams Warren Sharp’s 600+ page full-c…