Whether the Detroit Lions’ massive victory over the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 is a sign of things to come or not, it’s certainly increased the hype surrounding the team.
With one regular season game already in the rearview, here’s the Lions’ ceiling and floor for the remainder of the campaign.
Ceiling: 11-6
Expectations were already high for the Lions coming into the season. After knocking off the Chiefs, they’ve got to be higher, right?
Some would say the Lions got some breaks taking on the Chiefs without star tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones. However, the Lions played far from a perfect game yet still found a way to win in a hostile environment. They will play better. And if they continue to get contributions from their rookies, who shined in Week 1, the sky might be the limit for the Lions.
They’ll need better performances from quarterback Jared Goff, and the defense can’t expect the same kind of luck each week. But they showed in the opener that this isn’t the same old Lions, and if they can ride the momentum of the Chiefs game, an 11-win season might be in the cards.
Floor: 8-9
Week 1 can often be deceiving, and the Lions could’ve easily walked away from their season opener with a loss. They were lucky to avoid Kelce and Jones, who arguably could’ve made the difference in a one-point game, and if Mahomes had at least one competent receiver, things might have been very different.
Truthfully, had the Lions lost to the Chiefs, many would be singing a different tune heading into a Week 2 contest at home against the Seattle Seahawks. And, despite the win, they still have much to prove. After all, this is the same team that dropped five straight games after earning their first win of the season in Week 2 last year.
The Lions wouldn’t be the first team weighed down by expectations. If they don’t correctly navigate the ups and downs that will come this season, the hype could turn into disappointment quickly.