‘Not in the Playoffs:’ Analyst Slams Lions 2020 Hopes After Blowout

Jack Doyle

Getty Jack Doyle celebrates a score against the Lions.

The Detroit Lions didn’t offer much for their fans to be inspired about after a Week 8 blowout loss, and that feeling has trickled down to some of the pundits analyzing the team.

This week, following the 41-21 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts, Peter King of NBC Sports is calling his shot. As King said, he doesn’t believe the Lions will make the playoffs, nor will they end their 63 year championship drought in the 2020-21 season. The last proclamation is hardly stunning, but the first one is interesting considering many believed the Lions could be primed for a huge second half run to the postseason.

King wrote:

“Who knows how this year will end, other than not in the playoffs, and with the Lions running their non-championship streak to 63 straight years. But giving up 41 to the Colts—a nice offensive team but not a powerhouse—means the Lions, with defensive coach Matt Patricia at the helm, are surrendering a desultory 29.4 points per game in the third year of his regime. That is not good, if you want there to a be fourth year of the regime.”

In his piece, King ranked the Lions 24th in the NFL, and said they were in the “meh category” of teams. The admission about Patricia is also to be noted, considering many have wondered aloud if the coach might actually be saving his job with wins the last few weeks. It might not be the case if the losing continues and the Lions cannot match their desires to be playoff contenders if not crack the postseason outright.

Right now, that’s what King is predicting.

Lions Upcoming Schedule

How many wins can the Lions finish with in 2020? It could be 8 or 9 looking at the lay of the schedule right now into November for Detroit. After the loss to Indianapolis, the Lions now are set to play the Vikings, Washington, Carolina and Houston. The record of those teams is a paltry 8-21. The best team they could play in the month lies outside that stretch in the form of the Bears, and they have shown some definite vulnerabilities lately. Theoretically, the Lions should be favored in at least 4 of those 5 upcoming games.

It’s possible Sunday’s game against the Colts was a major missed opportunity for Detroit. With a tougher finish to the season, it could be the difference in Detroit winning 8 or games, and perhaps being in a stronger position to make the postseason or have a big finish to the year or having to sweat things out and feel pressure come late December. Clearly, the Lions need to get back to stacking wins to feel better about their predicament.

Schedule strength looked like a big variable for the Lions down the stretch, and it figures to remain in play, especially as Detroit gets back into the playoff picture. Detroit could lose any of the games on their upcoming schedule, but they could also rattle off a big win streak and go on a run if they take care of business. That’s true even with Sunday’s frustrating result.

Updated 2020 NFC Playoff Standings

Even with Sunday’s loss, the Lions remain on the periphery of the NFC race at 3-4. They will be battling the likes of the Eagles, Cardinals, 49ers, Rams, Panthers, Buccaneers and naturally the Bears and Packers for the playoff push in the second half. A win Sunday could have been huge for Detroit to climb back into the thick of things, but the team will have to deal with the bitter taste of defeat and come through it to stay in the hunt.

There’s plenty of time for the Lions to improve upon their playoff hopes in the coming weeks even if others like King don’t think they are going to make any type of run for the postseason.

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