2. Finish Second In The NFC North

Claiming the second spot in the NFC North got more challenging this past weekend. The Minnesota Vikings traded for former Pro Bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. Between Ngakoue and Danielle Hunter, the Vikings have one of the NFL’s best pass-rushing duos.

The Lions stood a chance at overtaking the Vikings because Minnesota lost so many defensive pieces in free agency. However, the addition of Ngakoue begins stretching the gap between the two teams again. The Lions lost their two games against Minnesota by a combined 25 points last year.

Detroit hasn’t beaten Minnesota since their first confrontation in 2017. Fortunately, the Lions are 4-2 against the Green Bay Packers over the past three years, but both losses came last season. Detroit also swept Chicago in 2017 but hasn’t beaten the Bears in either of the past two seasons.

Detroit’s fortunes could change in 2020. The Bears are one of the NFL’s worst offensive teams, while the Vikings have little to no proven depth at cornerback. The Packers went 13-3 last season but didn’t get better during the offseason, mostly thanks to wasted draft picks.

There’s a sliver of hope for the Lions finishing at least second in the NFC North for the fifth time in the past decade.