The Detroit Lions sustained a rocky start to the season, losing in Week 1 to their biggest rival in the Green Bay Packers. The resounding defeat reverberated for a week until it was washed away by a blowout over the Chicago Bears.
Ever since that point, the conversation has changed as it relates to the Lions. Dominant wins over the Bears and Cleveland Browns and a statement road win over the Baltimore Ravens leaves the Lions in great position within the NFC race.
How good a position are the Lions in? The term driver's seat comes to mind for some, even though the season is only a handful of weeks old. While it's early to be thinking about the playoff push and the Super Bowl, that hasn't stopped some from stacking teams up through a quarter of the year.
Jacob Slinkman of Packers on Sports Illustrated believes the Lions remain the cream of the crop. He placed the Lions at the top of his NFC Super Bowl tiers [as the No. 1 contender](https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/onsi/are-packers-still-contenders-ranking-all-16-nfc-teams-into-super-bowl-tiers) in the conference over plenty of notable other foes.
Detroit's resurgence has been paced by the offense, which has talent at every position and the balance that teams strive for between the run and the pass.
"Their high-powered offense is not necessarily led by their passing attack or their ground game. They sport a balanced attack that keeps opposing defenses guessing. With the two-headed monster of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in the backfield, their rushing attack has been strong, giving them 139 yards per game, the sixth-most in the league."
While the offense is strong, the defense has played a big role in Detroit's resurgence this season, something which Slinkman was also quick to point out.
"Their offense is what has been winning them games, averaging 41.3 points in their last three games, but their defense has done its job, as well, giving up only 10 points to the weak Browns in Week 4 and outlasting the strong Ravens offense in Week 3."
Add it up, and it seems belief in the Lions remains very strong. While other teams may look stronger on paper or even be undefeated, the Lions feel complete, and might have the most to offer in their conference.
Writer believes Lions might be 'strongest team in football' for 2025
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The Lions aren't just good, they might be the best team the league has to offer. That's according to Slinkman in the same piece. The reasoning has everything to do with Detroit's elite offense and a defense that has done enough to be considered stout early in the season.
All of that, combined with a schedule which will continue to test them earlier, gives the Lions a chance to prove their mettle in the weeks ahead against the toughest competition.
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"With the pieces coming together for the Lions, they look like the strongest team in football, especially offensively. Three of their biggest tests are within the next six weeks, when they will be facing the Chiefs in Kansas City in two weeks, the Buccaneers the week after and the Eagles in Philadelphia in Week 11. The rematch against Green Bay will come on Thanksgiving in Week 13."
At this point, the Lions are in good shape within their division race. The Packers dropped a game to the Browns, and sustained a tough tie in Dallas a week later. The Lions, meanwhile, were 2-0 in that span, allowing them to wrestle back early control of the NFC North.
There's a lot of football left to be played, but given how the Lions have responded to early adversity, they should feel very good about where they're at. As some believe, that's still at the top of the heap in terms of conference Super Bowl contenders.