The Detroit Lions have had a rough past 30 years. There have been the highs of record breaking receivers and winning seasons. There have also been the lows of playoff heartbreak and long losing streaks. Oh and the infamous 0-16 season. The Lions hit another reset button last year when they traded long time QB Matthew Stafford and went into full rebuild mode hoping this time would be different. While some people doubt, I think this time is different. So different that the Detroit Lions can be a playoff team this year.
Offensive Weapons
The Lions offense has a surprising amount of weapons. RB D’Andre Swift is flying under the radar as a dual threat runner and receiver. Despite missing a good chunk of the season with injuries, he still logged over over 1,000 scrimmage yards. A healthy season from Swift could yield big results for the Lion. The pass catchers on the Lions are also full of weapons. First round pick Jameson Williams is a home run threat and he is targeting to play in the preseason and Week 1. The Lions may be a little more cautious but we should see him early in the season. Amon-Ra St. Brown had one of the best second half seasons in recent memory and nearly had 1,000 yards on the season. The hope is he is able to replicate the second half. Don’t forget about TE TJ Hockenson who is always a good red zone threat. Whatever you feel about QB Jared Goff, he isn’t the worst QB to have on your team. After all he did make a Super Bowl. If he can be a decent QB, the Lions offense should put up points.
Improved Defense
The Lions ranked 31st in sacks last year. They simply could not put pressure on the QB and any time you give an NFL QB a clean pocket, chances are you will get carved up. Detroit addressed this need in the 2022 draft. 2nd overall pick Aiden Hutchinson and 2nd round pick Josh Paschal are being asked to make an immediate impact. The Lions also have switched from a 3-4 defense to a 4-3 defense which the linebackers are happy about. The hope is that this will allow them to make more tackles for loss and impact plays. There are some questions in the secondary mainly whether CB Jeff Okudah can live up to the 1st round pick hype. However, if the Lions can get pressure on the QB, this should help their secondary.
Head Coach Dan Campbell
The team loves to play for this guy. Last season started out bad. Complete blowouts followed by close losses and even one heartbreaking loss on a NFL record field goal. It would have been completely fair for the Lions to get discouraged and tank the season. They did the opposite. Detroit improved throughout the season going 3-3 in their last 6 games. One could argue with a little bit of luck, the Lions could have had a winning record last year which is crazy to think of a team that had the no. 2 overall pick. This is a complete credit to Dan Campbell. He clearly knows how to motivate that team. I haven’t analyzed his X’s and O’s but half the battle is getting your team to fight. The Lions will fight in every game this season. You can guarantee that.
Weak NFC
The NFC is weak this year. The Bucs, Rams and Packers are the clear favorites in the NFC. From there, every team has serious questions. What will the Cowboys, Saints, 49ers. and Eagles look like this year? I could see each of those teams with 12 wins or finishing below .500. Arizona is without star WR Deandre Hopkins for the first 6 games and they tend to fade down the stretch. Carson Wentz could recapture the magic or fall completely flat. The Vikings are much improved but I have trouble trusting Kirk Cousins on a consistent basis. There is absolutely a world where the Detroit Lions can sneak into the playoffs as a wild card.
Obstacles for the Lions
Having to play the Packers and Vikings twice in a season is not ideal. The NFC could also be stacked if the teams mentioned above all overperform. Jameson Williams could not come back until later in the year and the offense could fall flat. Injuries could hit the team again and they could be without significant pieces for a long period of time. Another obstacle for the Lions is simply the mental aspect. The Lions just know how to lose games. Anyone who has watched the Lions in the past 30 years has seen every way to lose a game possible. Detroit has to be able to close out some of these close games.
There are so many variables in an NFL season but the Detroit Lions have a legit shot at being a playoff team this year.