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To a large extent, the Detroit Lions were considered the laughing stock of the league last season.
For starters, Detroit willingly gave up on quarterback Matthew Stafford. While he was lauded for his otherworldly arm, Stafford was constantly castigated during his time in Detroit for failing to lead them to glory. Yet, the moment he landed in Los Angeles with the Rams, he proved to be the missing piece of their championship puzzle.
Detroit, on the other hand, stood motionless on the sidelines as Stafford collected his first Super Bowl ring. Without Stafford, they floundered to just three wins on the year.
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As year two without Stafford approaches, there should be reason for optimism among Detroit Lions fans. Although things did not go their way last season, the 2022-23 campaign promises to be a completely different story. The Lions are expected to improve monumentally.
Here are three reasons why the Detroit Lions will win, at least, 10 games next season.
1.A ton of close games
On paper, there was nothing awe-inspiring about the roster that the Detroit Lions cobbled together for the 2021 NFL season. With the franchise opting to trade Matthew Stafford and begin their rebuilding process, their season went about as poorly as possible, at least, on the surface.
Althought the Detriot Lions only won three games, it's pertinient to note that seven of their 13 losses were in the single digits.
Among those close encounters, the Detroit Lions fought against some of the best teams in the league. This included the San Francisco 49ers, losing by just eight points, and the Los Angeles Rams, losing by nine points during their midseason meeting.
Should the Detroit Lions have a bit of luck this season, those heartbreaking defeats in the waning seconds of ball games could turn into joyous victories.
2.Jared Goff is a winner
Once viewed as the savior of the Los Angeles Rams, Jared Goff was innocuously thrown to the Lions as part of the deal that sent Stafford the other way.
Prior to the start of the season, Goff was castigated because of his inability to lead the Rams to a Super Bowl title, even though he led them to the big dance in 2018.
Before slinging the pigskin up and down the field while donning a Lions uniform, Goff had registered only one losing season. That, of course, was in his first year in the league, when he went 0-7. Since then, Goff produced four consecutive seasons of winning football, including back-to-back years in which he was chosen for the Pro Bowl.
Much like in his first season in LA, Goff struggled to get accustomed to his new surroundings and guided the Lions to only three wins in 2021-22.
In year two, expect a much different player than the version that showed up in 2021. Goff should benefit from taking his lumps and should be more willing to make brazen plays down the field, while leading the Detroit Lions to more wins in the process.
3.NFC North isn't a murderous row
The NFC North shouldn’t strike fear into the heart of Jared Goff. Last season, only the Green Bay Packers registered a winning record in the division. Heading into the 2022 season, the Packers, following the loss of wide receiver Davante Adams, are expected to regress.
As for the rest of the competition, their tenuous up-and-down play should lead to their own downfall.
In the case of the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback Kirk Cousins has continually teased their fans with his potential. On some days, Cousins appears to be a world-beater, sauntering onto the field, poking his chest out and delivering a 350-yard passing game. In other instances, Cousins has faltered, leading to an ambivalent feeling among fans.
Unsurprisingly, the Chicago Bears are still attempting to get things in order. The franchise will rely heavily on the unproven arm of Justin Fields. And while he’s shown flashes of brilliance at times, his lack of weapons on offense will ensure that Chicago finishes the year near the bottom of the division.
Detroit should have the upper hand on most occasions against their rivals. If Detroit can rack up victories against a weaker conference, aggregating double-digit wins isn’t entirely out of the question.
