We have seen a massive resurgence in the Lions these last couple of seasons in the NFL. Going from 3-13 in 2021 to 12-5 and divisional leaders as recently as 2023. This can be partly due to Head Coach Dan Campbell's "we're going to bite a kneecap off" attitude. Campbell has rebuilt the Lions into a conference contender, which we have not seen since the 1950s and 1991 seasons. The city of Detroit finally has a sports team they can rally behind and cheer for for the first time in decades. Even though the Lions' 2023 season ended in a conference championship loss to the San Fransisco 49ers, as a Lions fan, that game didn't end in disappointment leading into the off-season. It led to hope and determination because the Lions can compete with the best in the NFL.
During this off-season, the Lions have made some serious upgrades defensively, trading for Carlton Davis and signing DJ Reeder and Marcus Davenport early on into the new league year before drafting Alabama corner Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw with their first two selections with the draft in their backyard. Not to mention, they locked up the offensive core to boot. Amon St. Brown, Penei Sewell, and Jared Goff all received massive new contracts, and it feels like the Lions truly have a contender on their hands.
My prediction: The Lions will be a dark horse in the NFC. As in fans and media alike, everyone will be focusing on the 49ers' successes/failures, the Eagle's post-Jason Kelce, the Cowboys' front office dilemma with CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott, and Caleb Williams' rookie season. The Lions will prove this year that the focus should be on them and how they are a team to be feared in the NFC. I believe the Lions can go and possibly win their first Super Bowl in the next couple of seasons, but it is a long road ahead to secure the Lombardi Trophy.
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