I have to admit, each year around this time, I am chugging the Detroit Lions Honolulu blue Kool-Aid as I am always hopeful that they will somehow turn things around and win the NFC North.
But this year, I am actually confident that Dan Campbell has the Lions on the right track and though I don’t think they have the talent and experience to truly contend with the big dogs in the NFL, they are getting closer.
Remembering the ONLY time the Detroit Lions went worst-to-first
Many (including myself) believe the Lions are going to at least double (I think they will triple) their win total from 2021 when they only won three games, but can they shock the world by going from worst to first in the NFC North?
According to a recent article by John Beech of CBS Sports, the Lions have the fifth-best shot of going from worst-to-first out of all of the last-place finishers from one season ago.
From CBS Sports:
5. Detroit Lions
2021 record: 3-13-1
Odds to win NFC North: +900
After watching the Lions for one straight month on “Hard Knocks,” I can’t decide if they’re actually going to be good or if I just got sucked into thinking they might be good due to watching “Hard Knocks.” One thing about the Lions is that they showed last season that they can play competitive football. Over the final six weeks of the season, they went 3-3 and those three wins came over the Packers, Vikings and Cardinals.
The players are clearly buying into Dan Campbell’s philosophy and when your coach’s philosophy is biting kneecaps, that almost automatically gives you a chance for a surprising season. Dan Campbell is also a guy who likes to win at everything he does and if that attitude brushes off on his team, they might end up shocking a few people this year.
Beech also noted that the Lions have only gone w0rst-to-first one time in their franchise history and that came in 1993.
Nation, do you think the Detroit Lions can go from worst to first in the NFC North in 2022?