We’re inching closer to the time for 2026 NFL season predictions, and Sports Illustrated’s Connor Orr is getting a jump on the rest of the NFL media landscape. On Tuesday, Orr published his 100 bold predictions for the 2026 NFL season, and several are related to the Detroit Lions.
The first is a very simple one: a year after finishing last in the division, Orr is predicting the Lions to win the NFC North for the third time in four years. I liked the prediction, even if I question some of the rationale.
“One of the most underrated aspects of a team’s schedule, in my opinion, is the runway with which to build momentum,” Orr wrote. “That momentum overpowers the basic fact that many of those wins were against opponents that the team should have beaten. Those wins create a false confidence those teams carry with them into more neutral matchups or matchups in which a team should be considered an underdog.”
Orr takes that prediction a step further with #17 on his list: The Lions will lead the NFL in regular-season wins.
“Despite finishing last in the NFC North and undergoing a midseason offensive coordinator change, the Lions had a plus-68 point differential. That was better than seven teams that made the playoffs,” Orr notes.
Working off that prediction, Orr also believes Detroit will finish with more points than any other team, his #94 prediction.
“Detroit had an abysmal schedule and a coordinator who needed to be replaced mid-stream, yet still scored just two fewer points per game than the Rams and totaled roughly 400 fewer yards. The indicators are there,” Orr wrote.
You can read all of Orr’s predictions here.
- Shout out to commenter Hunt Baker, who did a complete position-by-position roster comparison between the Rams and Lions. I think it’s a pretty fair assessment:
- Nice read on new Lions receiver Greg Dortch over at the Detroit News. One great quote from Dortch: “The coaching staff has the most NFL players on a coaching staff that I’ve ever been a part of. You can just tell right away that they take care of their players, they know what the f— they’re talking about, and they’re serious.”
- On Wednesday, the Lions completed Day 5 of OTAs. Here’s a photo gallery from practice, including Aidan Hutchinson breaking things down at the end of the day.
- Are you a card collectors? I have found your white whale:
- Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network caught up with Levi Onwuzurike about missing all of last year and his expectations for 2026.
- Former Lions fullback Jason Cabinda has a graduation speech for Lions fans:
