As more and more preseason predictions come out just a day away from the NFL season opener, it seems the Detroit Lions may be able to play with a “chip on their shoulder” mentality this season.
When the Lions reached and lost the NFC Championship two years ago, expectations heading into last season were sky high. They were at the very top of every power ranking and expected to bulldoze their way to the Lombardi. But an unexpected Divisional Round playoff exit, plus the departure of both coordinators,
seems to have shattered those expectations.
The Athletic conducted its annual poll of coaches and executives around the league, asking 31 people to cast votes in a myriad of categories. It wasn’t until the very last question when my jaw dropped: “Name three teams that will fall short of expectations this season.”
The Lions received the overwhelming majority of votes at a whopping 16, with the Washington Commanders second at nine. I knew people were a tad shaky on Detroit, but such a big voting gap was surprising.
“This was a jarring result, as the Lions drew more votes than any team ever has for this question. There’s usually so much parity in the results of this question because of its subjective nature,” writes The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.
There was only a little bit of explanation behind the votes.
“It’s hard to lose two coordinators,” a general manager said in the article (those in the survey respond anonymously.)
It appears these NFL coaches and executives aren’t the only ones not too keen on the Lions in 2025. The “Good Morning Football” crew usually so high on the Motor City seems to predict a less than stellar season as well.
And onto the rest of your notes.
- “Lions fans are on edge. In particular, about the edge, the one opposite (Aidan) Hutchinson.” Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers offers five storylines that should define the Lions defense in 2025.
- It’s the sea of blue you love to see in the stand at away games. Called “Lions Takeovers,” the Detroit Lions are offering travel packages for road games, including flights, hotels, pep rallies, tailgates, and more.
- Per nearly all my social media feeds, I think quite a few people feel this way.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown in all of the ads these days!
