Getty Jeff Saturday and Marvin Harrison on the sidelines.
The Detroit Lions struggled along during the 2021 season, but that doesn’t change what they may be able to accomplish in 2022 given the foundation they have set for the future.
It could be a good foundation for the team as it relates to winning, and that’s what a successful former player in the league thinks is going to happen once next year gets going.
The latest Lions news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lions newsletter here!
Jeff Saturday, who played for the Indianapolis Colts, now works at ESPN. Saturday apparently recently opined that in his opinion, the Lions could be heading for a worst-to-first type turnaround in 2022. Fans on Twitter were writing about Saturday’s comments, and taking particular glee in them.
Jeff Saturday says that the Lions are most likely to go worst to first next year. Love it 👌🏼
The Lions are making some noise late in 2021-22 with some wins and some close games and showing they might have building blocks for the future. That’s a fact that should leave fans very excited no matter what happens this offseason as the team works to improve.
Detroit should improve greatly this offseason, and combined with what plays out in 2022, it will be interesting to see if they can get things turned around in a big way like many are predicting will happen like Saturday.
Lions Most Recent ‘Worst to First’ Turnaround Was 2011
It’s been over a decade since Detroit’s last worst to first type turnaround, and even then, the Lions did not come in first place in the NFC North. The 2011 Lions started on a tear and would finish the season a solid 10-6. In 2010, the Lions finished last in the division and in 2008, had gone winless. They capped off the impressive turnaround with a major win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Though the Lions lost in the playoffs to the New Orleans Saints in blowout fashion, that game was the last moment that Lions fans had major happiness and felt good about where things were trending for the future. It’s safe to say the 2022 Lions would take something similar if it meant the team was on the right path for the future.
Lions’ 2022 Schedule Outlook
What schedule will the team have to tangle with next year? Detroit will play a last place schedule next season by virtue of the way they finished 2021, which means tangling with the last place teams in divisions. Beyond that, the team plays the AFC and NFC East divisions on the schedule for 2022, which Burke also pointed out in a tweet.
@Barry45562166 Easts. Eagles/WFT/Bills/Dolphins at home; Cowboys/Giants/Jets/Patriots on the road.
This would mean that the Lions would play the likes of Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia and the New York Giants while tangling with Miami, the New York Jets, New England and Buffalo in their AFC crossovers. Add it all up and it seems like another tough schedule for the Lions overall next year once things get finalized come next April.
Time will tell if they can do what Saturday thinks and go worst to first and have a complete turnaround.
READ NEXT: Most Exciting Lions Players for 2022 Season