vegas492 Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 I'm skeptical concerning the Lions. For years they were an afterthought as an opponent. Now teams will take them more seriously. Sure, this is the NFL and "On Any Given Sunday....". But, I don't feel like teams prepared for the Lions quite as hard as they did for other opponents...in the past. Now they will. And the Lions still have to manage higher expectations and the pressure that goes with that. And already this off-season they lost a talented WR to suspension and cut other players due to gambling. I don't know they are quite ready for prime time. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThatJerkDave Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 Vikings. Lions are contenders because they almost made the playoffs. I just don't see it. Packers are incredibly young, and will struggle as the youngsters have their ups and downs. And the Bears still suck. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StatKing Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 If the Lions don't win it this year Dan Campbell should be fired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StatKing Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 NFCN is going to suck big time this year. I would be very surprised if whoever wins it has more than 10-11 wins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scar988 Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 (edited) 21 hours ago, notthatbluestuff said: Have reports of the Vikings' demise been greatly exaggerated? Have projections of the Lions' inevitable rise been overestimated? Will a Fields-led offense become the new Midway Monsters? Or will a grand era of peace and Love begin up in Green Bay? The Vikings had a point differential of -3 last year. That suggests they should have been an 8-9 team. Instead, they were 5 games better. They're going to flounder this year. I like Chicago as a team, but I think it's a year or 2 too early to see results for them. Detroit is in position to win the division. I think this division looks a lot like the NFC South last year. Winner is like 9-8, a couple of 7-10 teams and then just a terrible team at like 5-12. Edited July 6, 2023 by scar988 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bucksavage1 Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 1 hour ago, vegas492 said: I'm skeptical concerning the Lions. For years they were an afterthought as an opponent. Now teams will take them more seriously. Sure, this is the NFL and "On Any Given Sunday....". But, I don't feel like teams prepared for the Lions quite as hard as they did for other opponents...in the past. Now they will. And the Lions still have to manage higher expectations and the pressure that goes with that. And already this off-season they lost a talented WR to suspension and cut other players due to gambling. I don't know they are quite ready for prime time. Agreed. The Lions playing the favorite role in much different than the underdog they have been in the past. It wouldn’t surprise me they beat KC week 1 and fall on their face the rest of the way to a 9-8 record 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nnivolcm Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 38 minutes ago, ThatJerkDave said: Vikings. Lions are contenders because they almost made the playoffs. I just don't see it. Packers are incredibly young, and will struggle as the youngsters have their ups and downs. And the Bears still suck. The 2022 Vikings were a near statistical impossibility. There's no chance they repeat their success last season even if they didn't have to jettison so much of the top end of their roster in salary cap moves. I don't think the Lions almost making the playoffs is why people see them as contenders. I think it has more to do with the 8-2 record to finish the year, keeping their OC who was the most sought HC candidate until he decided to stay in Detroit, a young roster projected to continue to progress who has shown they will run though walls for MCDC, returning a top offense, and revamping a defense who played well down the stretch. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cconocool Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 As a Vikings fan, I would say the Vikings or the Lions. Vikings adding the DC with Brian Flores, and the Lions upswinging, but I hated their draft. I think LaFleur hinted the Packers won't be as good next season with suggestions about Love. The Bears. Maybe next year, after an influx of new draft picks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegas492 Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 8 minutes ago, Nnivolcm said: The 2022 Vikings were a near statistical impossibility. There's no chance they repeat their success last season even if they didn't have to jettison so much of the top end of their roster in salary cap moves. I don't think the Lions almost making the playoffs is why people see them as contenders. I think it has more to do with the 8-2 record to finish the year, keeping their OC who was the most sought HC candidate until he decided to stay in Detroit, a young roster projected to continue to progress who has shown they will run though walls for MCDC, returning a top offense, and revamping a defense who played well down the stretch. Lions, though, do Lions things. Don't get me wrong, I like the players they drafted, but taking a RB that high, with corners on the board, and an ILB in the first? In other words, while I liked those players, there were other guys I liked at premiums that were available. They took a RB, whom I like/liked, over Gonzales at corner. Or Forbes at corner. And I really liked Campbell as an ILB, but he's still an ILB and there were pass rushers and corners on the board. Some nice WR's, too. I'm not sure that they couldn't have snagged Campbell or Gibbs at pick #34. And I certainly feel like if those were the real "targets", they could have traded down and gotten more picks while still drafting those guys. I'd be more stoked for that team had they addressed premiums with those picks. And that dovetails back to "Not Quite Ready for Primetime". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nnivolcm Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 6 minutes ago, vegas492 said: Lions, though, do Lions things. Don't get me wrong, I like the players they drafted, but taking a RB that high, with corners on the board, and an ILB in the first? In other words, while I liked those players, there were other guys I liked at premiums that were available. They took a RB, whom I like/liked, over Gonzales at corner. Or Forbes at corner. And I really liked Campbell as an ILB, but he's still an ILB and there were pass rushers and corners on the board. Some nice WR's, too. I'm not sure that they couldn't have snagged Campbell or Gibbs at pick #34. And I certainly feel like if those were the real "targets", they could have traded down and gotten more picks while still drafting those guys. I'd be more stoked for that team had they addressed premiums with those picks. And that dovetails back to "Not Quite Ready for Primetime". The bolded will continue to be the narrative until that changes. I hope this is the year and on paper things look pretty good imo. I understand not liking a RB and ILB being taken early. I wasn't a huge fan of it when it happened, but I did understand the strategy. I already like the Lions CBs, top to bottom, so I'm not upset about not getting a CB in the first. It also helps that one of the CBs I would have wanted in the first, they got in the second. You never know how reliable reports are, but there have been reports that both Gibbs and Campbell were being targeted by teams right after where the Lions got them. The last primetime game they played in, they had nothing to play for and they spanked the Packers, who had everything to play for. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiefs_5627 Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 I have an odd feeling it's gonna be GB. I think they're gonna emphasize the run game to protect Love, play hard nosed Defense and that weird dark cloud over Lambeau Field is gonna be gone so there's gonna be some sense of renewal. Having said all that I'd like to see the Lions get some success rolling in and they definitely deserve some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegas492 Posted July 6, 2023 Share Posted July 6, 2023 Just now, Chiefs_5627 said: I have an odd feeling it's gonna be GB. I think they're gonna emphasize the run game to protect Love, play hard nosed Defense and that weird dark cloud over Lambeau Field is gonna be gone so there's gonna be some sense of renewal. Having said all that I'd like to see the Lions get some success rolling in and they definitely deserve some. GB has a lot of talent on defense. Their DC, though, can easily screw that up. Unknown under center. GB is going to take some lumps this year. But if #12 plays 11 games for New York, GB is going to get another good pick to put onto that pretty young roster of developing talent. I don't feel like it will be GB this year (despite my homer vote on the poll)...but the bounce back could come quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Friend Posted July 7, 2023 Share Posted July 7, 2023 *bites nails nervously* 🫣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superduperman Posted July 7, 2023 Share Posted July 7, 2023 (edited) On 7/5/2023 at 11:03 PM, nagahide13 said: Lions, but they are being overrated. They're not as strong as the team that finished last season, but they're not nearly as bad as the team that started it. Disagree. Sutton and CJGJ are really huge upgrades (even more so if Moseley can play right away) and Gibbs-Montgomery is a slight upgrade over Swift-Williams. They also got a legit TE and improved depth at linebacker and defensive line, especially with players returning from injury. The challenge is to get it all working together quickly, but roster-wise they're clearly better imo. Edited July 7, 2023 by Superduperman 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeaReylo Posted July 7, 2023 Share Posted July 7, 2023 There really isn't any one team that stands out as a clear cut powerhouse. At best maybe one or two look to be pretty good teams but not great or outstanding I give every team in it a 25% chance right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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