The Detroit Lions went 15-2 last season, finishing with the best record in the NFC behind an explosive offense and some terrific coaching.
Yes, the Lions were bounced from the Divisional Round of the playoffs, but to be fair, they were absolutely ravaged by injuries, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
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This year, though, Detroit has gotten healthy, and it appears primed to make a Super Bowl run. However, one NFL executive is not a believer in the Lions. At all.
Mike Sando of The Athletic recently polled execs around the league regarding the state of the NFC heading into 2025, and while most agreed that Detroit would be one of the top teams in the conference, one executive had the Lions ranked 11th.
"I refuse to believe they keep rolling after losing two starters on their offensive line and their two highest-paid assistant coaches," the exec said.
Detroit did lose offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn this offseason, and that will certainly hurt. Plus, center Frank Ragnow retired, and guard Kevin Zeitler signed with the Tennessee Titans.
But is that really enough to drop the Lions to 11th in the NFC? That seems a bit harsh, even if there is still a rather large faction of individuals who do not quite believe in quarterback Jared Goff.
It should be noted that Detroit plays in what is probably the toughest division in football. The NFC North is a bloodbath, and it just got even more daunting with the Green Bay Packers acquiring Micah Parsons. That being said, the Lions are still just far too talented to not at least make a serious push for a Super Bowl.
On top of that, Dan Campbell is widely viewed as one of the best head coaches in the business, so that should also help Detroit overcome its offseason losses.
The Lions will open up their season against the Packers this Sunday.
For more on the Lions and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
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