Getty Lions fans yell during a home game at Ford Field.
The Detroit Lions are in a pickle in terms of their NFL future. On one hand, the team is trying to build something, but on the other, they have to try and be as competitive as possible for the short-term.
That balance can be quite difficult, and some believe that there is going to be a significant amount of pain the team will have to endure in order to get back on the right path. One such believer in that idea is NBC Sports veteran Peter King.
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Recently, King put together a power ranking piece in which he rated every team in the NFL, and the Lions didn’t come in high on the list whatsoever. King placed the team in the 30 spot, which wasn’t last. Even still, it was near the bottom of the league barrel in a big way.
He wrote:
“The new kneecap-biting attitude of coach Dan Campbell is great, and the Lions need it desperately after the roster tuned out Matt Patricia. These players won’t tune out Campbell. He’s a fire-and-brimstone preacher who will not stand for losing. He is to coaching what Chris Spielman was to playing, and isn’t it fitting that Spielman was part of the Lions management team that hired Campbell? (I say “part,” because I am not positive it was “most,” but that would not surprise me.) Early reviews on Campbell have been sensational, but the NFL offseason is a time of raging hope for even a team like Detroit, which hasn’t won a playoff game since 1991. The reality of games will likely bring some pain, particularly when the quarterback has been downgraded from Matthew Stafford to Jared Goff and the receiving corps is minus Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones. Add the fact that there isn’t a defensive presence that will scare any offensive coordinator, and you understand that this could be a lean year in Detroit. I do like the fact that Aaron Glenn, the new defensive coordinator, is a fiery and smart tactician whose players will love playing for him. It’s going to be a lean year, but at least the Lions have a coach the team and the city can rally around, for what that’s worth.”
The concept of this being a painful year for the Lions in 2021 is not new, and many have talked about how the team might be primed to take several steps backward this coming year. That would be frustrating indeed for the Lions and their fans, but some pain might be the only way to build something which lasts in today’s NFL.
Lions Offseason Offers Future Hope
While the Lions might suffer an up and down 2021 season, it seems there is some hope for the future with the team. The Lions are building a roster that could compete in due time given some of the upgrades to the offensive line and the defense. While the team might still be short on major weaponry, it’s clear the Lions are trying to build that portion of the roster in the future.
The addition of Dan Campbell is a huge reason for the Lions to have more hope, as the coach figures to inject some much-needed life into the franchise and the roster as King admits. In due time, the Lions could build something, even if they have to endure some pain along the way.
Lions Called ‘Lock’ for Miserable 2021 Season
Obviously, King is not the only person who believes the Lions are heading for some trouble on the field for 2021. Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd thinks that the team is going to be miserable again even in spite of the changes they have made.
Once again, Cowherd is projecting the Lions will have a terrible season and stay in last place once 2021 ends. He rolled this projection out early this offseason and didn’t offer much of a defense, other than he’d be likely to say the Lions are the Lions.
What say you? @ColinCowherd
It’s easy to predict the Lions will be bad, so not a surprise to see Cowherd writing the team off, however it is fair to see where he is coming from. The team is theoretically in a rebuild and finding momentum could be tough to do. Obviously, it isn’t going out on a limb to say the other teams predicted to finish last could be thought of as bad as well, so this isn’t exactly the boldest take.
Nevertheless, many are already writing the Lions off completely ahead of a new season. As this commentary shows, he’s far from the only one that doesn’t believe in the Lions in 2021.
Right now, many see Detroit as close to the worst team in the entire NFL.
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