The Detroit Lions announced their presence as a contender in the NFC during the 2023 season. In Year 3 under general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell, the team broke through in a major way.
The Lions went 12-5 this season, matching the total number of wins under Campbell in his first two seasons on the job. They ran away with the NFC North title and earned the No. 3 seed in the conference.
In the postseason, they defeated the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before losing to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Campbell’s aggressive style of play was a big part of them falling short of a Super Bowl appearance as Detroit blew a 17-point lead in the second half.
Had a break or two gone their way, the Lions would have been facing off with the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch from Week 1. The 2023 season would have ended with the same matchup it began with.
What can we expect to see from the Lions next season? There are some NFL experts over at ESPN who have selected them as their early favorites to win Super Bowl 59. Fantasy football writer Mike Clay and NFL front office insider Mike Tannenbaum have both selected Detroit win win the Lombardi Trophy next season.
Clay believes the Lions will defeat the Houston Texans, the biggest surprise in the NFL in the 2023 season. Tannenbaum has selected the Los Angeles Chargers as the AFC representative that will lose to Detroit.
Several more experts believe that the Lions will make the big game, but will come out on the losing side. National writer Dan Graziano selected the Cincinnati Bengals to beat Detroit in Super Bowl 59, while draft analyst Jordan Reid and national reporter Lindsey Thiry both selected the Chiefs to win for a third straight season over Detroit.
There are going to be some high expectations for the Lions in 2024, as people are expecting them to succeed and win games. Out of the 11 experts on ESPN’s panel, five of them expect Detroit to be involved in Super Bowl 59. That is tied for the most with the Chiefs.