“The Lions might have lost the Super Bowl last night.”

The reaction from NFL experts was swift and decisive Monday morning, a day after defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered a broken tibia during the Detroit Lions' 47-9 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in Dallas.

On Monday morning's ESPN show “Get Up,” analyst and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan was asked if the Lions were still Super Bowl contenders without Hutchinson.

“Ahh man, they dominated the game, won obviously, but maybe lost the Super Bowl,” Ryan said. “That's how I see it. That's how good Aidan Hutchinson is as a player. It's just a damn shame because here's a kid, a local guy, who's so proud of this team, this organization, a Dan Campbell–” hand-picked player, him and Penei Sewell, who represent this team so much.

“Not only do you lose the best defensive player in the league, but you also lose that leader. You see this team. They will try to rally around him; they're great teammates and stuff like that. From that standpoint, that now opens up a chance for some of these other teams that didn't have a chance against Detroit.

ESPN analyst and former Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky said Hutchinson's loss was “decisive for the Super Bowl, no question.”

“The best team in the NFC arguably lost its best player,” Orlovsky said. “It’s like the Chiefs losing (defensive lineman) Chris Jones. We're talking about a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Not only that, but about a man who has completely changed the complexities of this organization, and there's no question about that in their opinion. “You can win the Super Bowl with him. I hope and pray that he gets better. He is one of the stars in the league.

“If you're the Detroit Lions, you can't let this window pass. Last year you missed the window because you missed fourth place. You cannot let this window pass. The No. 1 call is for the Las Vegas Raiders.” Maxx Crosby. The second call is to the Browns for Myles Garrett and/or Za'Darius Smith. The third call is to the Jets for Haason Reddick.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said: “It's hard to overstate how devastating this injury is for Detroit on the field and in the locker room.”

“Based on the initial diagnosis, he (Hutchinson) should be fine until 2025,” Rapoport said. “First and foremost, nothing is more important than Adian Hutchinson’s health and well-being. If it takes time, it takes time. This is undoubtedly one of the worst moments of his life. How Detroit is going to replace him, you.” That's just not possible. This is a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate. It's devastating for everyone involved.

Fox Sports analyst Tom Brady, seven-time Super Bowl champion and former Michigan quarterback, was asked who he thought was the best team in the NFL.

“The team (Lions) we’re watching here,” Brady said. “They are the most balanced, offensive, defensive and creative. Your ability to do difficult things well. Not only can they run the ball well, they have two guys who run the ball well. I think they have the best offensive line in football.”

Dan Campbell discusses Aidan Hutchinson's injury in the 47-9 win over the Cowboys.

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