Getty Linebacker Chris Board celebrates a big play for the Lions in 2022.
The Detroit Lions have been an also-rand franchise that’s been largely overlooked through the years, so changing that perception for good will take time.
After a furious finish to the year, plenty of folks are beginning to open their eyes a bit to the potential of the franchise, and that includes Heavy.com NFL insider Matt Lombardo.
While few in the national media are ever willing to eat much crow, especially about Detroit, Lombardo is the notable exception. On a recent iteration of the Matt Lombardo Show, the analyst took a few minutes to offer a bit of an apology for doubting the surging Lions.
“So I was wrong about Detroit, I’ll admit it,” Lombardo said on the show. “And they have a cake walk schedule the rest of the way. They go to East Rutherford to play the Jets, who are fighting for their playoff lives, but it’s [Zach Wilson] at quarterback, it’s not Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson. They go to the Panthers, again very much in the mix in the NFC South, but they’re under .500. They play the Bears in Detroit, and they finish the season at Lambeau Field against a Packers team that isn’t really intimidating anybody right now.”
As for how the team could finish, Lombardo sees the potential for an above .500 end to the season for Detroit, which could leave them in contention for the postseason while representing one of the best turnaround stories in football.
“9-8 is very much on the table for the Lions to go and get. I don’t know that 9-8 gets you in, but that’s really borderline for a wild card spot in the NFC. Wouldn’t that be a story? Wouldn’t that be a story if after Thanksgiving, the Lions rattle off the kind of stretch run that sneaks them into the postseason after the year they had last year? That would be incredible, and I was incredibly wrong about the Lions and I can admit that,” he said.
Credit to Lombardo for changing his mind on the Lions and admitting it, but the reality is, he probably shouldn’t be so hard on himself. Detroit looked as if they were in deep trouble at 1-6, and minus those on the team, many were likely doubting the direction of the season.
The Lions turned things around and managed to get themselves in the mix. As a result, they’re likely going to be a big story the rest of the way. Opinions are beginning to change as a result.
Lions Alive Within NFC Playoff Race
Though the team started 1-6 and were left for dead by many, as Lombardo points out, the playoff picture is wide open to Detroit right now by virtue of their schedule.
After the major win in Week 14, the Lions are still alive in the NFC playoff race. Detroit has a tight margin for error with seven losses, but their schedule will likely keep them a factor down the stretch. Additionally, if they continue to get help from the outside, they could sneak in the postseason.
The team’s schedule feels favorable with home games on the horizon to go with some easier road games on paper. In Week 15, the Lions play the banged-up Jets on the road, then the Panthers on the road and the Bears at home. They will finish by visiting Green Bay to end the year. That’s a very ripe stretch for Detroit considering the number of teams under .500.
As of now, the Lions are a half game behind Seattle, and will be hoping for them to drop a few more games late-season to help them out, while hoping the NFC East eats its own in the days ahead.
Should Detroit bring the level of effort they have over the last six weeks, they are going to remain in the hunt all the way down the stretch of the season. They may even surprise and pull out some other clutch wins as well.
The Lions are playing out the string as hard as they can to set themselves up for 2023. If they can get over the hump and make the postseason, advantage them.
Lions Future Looks Very Bright to Analysts
Lombardo isn’t the only one who sees good things ahead for Detroit, and while he understands the Lions could be in good shape now, many others are keen to point out the future is just as bright.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid is very bullish on the Lions’ long-term hopes. Recently, he tweeted a reminder of where the team could be heading in the near future, and admits they have everything lined up for an exciting run.
The #Lions have a very exciting future. Five picks in the first three rounds in 2023, a great talent evaluator in GM Brad Holmes, and they play super hard for Dan Campbell and that coaching staff.
“The Lions have a very exciting future. Five picks in the first three rounds in 2023, a great talent evaluator in GM Brad Holmes, and they play super hard for Dan Campbell and that coaching staff,” Reid tweeted.
Perhaps the most interesting part of that equation is the fact that the Lions play hard for Dan Campbell. That fact cannot be overlooked, as the team has rebuilt its culture on the fly and managed to receive major buy-in from veterans and young players alike.
The Lions may have way more to do in 2022, but already, most folks understand that 2023 could look just as special for the team in terms of turning the corner.
Insiders of all kinds are opening their eyes to what Detroit is doing, which is just another special part of the story of the team’s turnaround.
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‘I Was Incredibly Wrong:’ NFL Insider Admits Mistake Overlooking Lions