Getty Joe Burrow playing against the Lions in 2022.
The Detroit Lions have stumbled for the better part of their history in terms of playoff success, but that doesn’t mean something good can’t happen in the future for the team.
Last year, the Lions watched as the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that’s struggled plenty in recent years, managed to come out of nowhere and shock the AFC. The Bengals’ magical ride lasted all the way until the Super Bowl, and their success shook up the NFL. Now, some folks are wondering who could represent the next “worst to first” story in the league.
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Could the Lions be the next version of the Bengals? Many think this could be the case, and Bleacher Report was the first to make this connection this offseason when considering what could play out on the field in 2022.
B/R’s Kristopher Knox took a look at picking out five teams that could become the Bengals of this season, and had the Lions on the list. A major reason as Knox saw it was some of the roster improvements in the form of edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, wideout DJ Chark and linebacker Jarrad Davis. More than that, though, could be the team’s schedule.
“The schedule is also very favorable for Detroit. Outside of the Packers, the NFC North isn’t flush with talent, and overall, the Lions have the fifth-easiest strength of schedule in 2022,” Knox wrote.
Overall, as Knox concedes, the Lions are in flux, but could be a team that finds themselves in the discussion come 2022 if everything goes right.
“Detroit is clearly a rebuilding team, but if a few balls bounce their way, the Lions could be thinking playoffs come December.”
Bad luck was a big reason for Detroit’s 3-13-1 record last season, so if things did even out on that front, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see the Lions rebound in a big way on the field and perhaps make a run toward more success.
Could they even be like the Bengals and go on a magic carpet ride through the season and playoffs into the Super Bowl? Folks in Detroit might scoff hard at that notion, but many see it as on the table at this point in time.
Lions Gain Offseason Praise Ahead of 2022
This isn’t the first mention of the Lions being a dark-horse contender ahead of the 2022 season. Many folks see the team as a potential dynamo in the making given their improvements to the offense and defense and the potential for young players to jell.
While many see the Lions as a looming threat in the NFC North, most folks concede it could be a few years before that dream comes to fruition. The biggest reason for folks believing in the Lions overall? The presence of coach Dan Campbell as well as general manager Brad Holmes, who has made some sterling roster decisions.
Campbell has the locker room revved up and pulling in the same direction, and that improved culture showed itself even amid a lost season in 2021. For that reason, as the roster evolves, many see the Lions as being able to take the next step on the field.
Whether it comes in 2022 or closer to 2024, many folks just want to see the Lions relevant again. Having a solid bounce-back season this year would figure as a good first step as it relates to that goal.
Bengals, Lions Share Similar Football History
If there’s one team the Lions hope they can emulate, it’s the Bengals. Historically, the sides have been linked plenty given their football misery. Cincinnati has seen last-place finishes and failed draft picks plague them just like Detroit.
In spite of all of this, Cincinnati has won playoff games, made the Super Bowl and has enjoyed varying degrees of success at certain points over the last 40 years. Cincinnati has three AFC championships to their credit in 1981, 1988 and 2021 cracking Super Bowl 16, 23 and 56. They’ve also won the AFC North five times since 2005.
That’s a level of success the Lions could only dream of. Detroit’s last playoff win came in 1992, the team last won their division in 1993 and since that time, it’s been a struggle just to field a competent team.
Last season, the Bengals and Lions met, and it was a frustrating game for Detroit. The Lions were humbled in an ugly 34-11 defeat, and it was one of the few games in which Detroit was simply outgunned from start to finish and didn’t compete last year.
The result of that game aside, the Bengals are where the Lions wish to be with a young, exciting roster flush with new playoff experience. If Detroit can ever get to that point, there will be a lot of happy fans in the Motor City. Ahead of the 2022 season, the Lions could be a team that many are starting to figure might make a similar run at success soon.
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How the Lions Could Still Be ‘Thinking Playoffs Come December’