Coming into last season, most expected the Detroit Lions to be awful.
They started 1-6, which seemed to justify such expectations, but they won eight of their last 10 games and came very close to making the playoffs.
That has led to a different set of expectations for Detroit heading into next season, especially after they brought back wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr.
The official Twitter account of SportsLine posted a graphic that threw some shade at Lions fans who are expecting their team to win the NFC North in 2023.
The hype is getting out of hand in Detroit 😂 pic.twitter.com/jRH7mIu9bg
— SportsLine (@SportsLine) March 29, 2023
There is no doubt that Detroit is starting to build a winner.
They possess a young stud wideout in Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had 1,161 yards and six touchdowns in 2022, plus defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson, who registered 9.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hits, and nine tackles for loss as one of the NFL’s best rookies last season.
Quarterback Jared Goff had arguably his best season in 2022 with 4,438 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns while earning his third Pro Bowl nod.
However, tabbing the Lions as the favorites to finish first in their division may be premature.
Although the Minnesota Vikings lost wide receiver Adam Thielen, they did win 13 games last year and still possess a nice team that is headlined by Justin Jefferson, who is arguably the best wideout in the game.
Right now, the safe bet may be to expect Minnesota to win the NFC North again, but Detroit should have a shot at getting a Wild Card spot and reaching the postseason for the first time since 2016.
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Marvin Jones Jr. Shares Hype Video To Celebrate His Lions Return