For the first time in a long time, the Detroit Lions have some expectations heading into a season. After finishing the 2022 season 9-8, capped off with a victory on the road at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers, a lot of people are excited to see what the Lions do in 2023.
They will be tested right away as they are heading on the road to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football to open the season. That goes to show how highly even the league thinks of the Lions this season, as that is a marquee time slot.
Head coach Dan Campbell is doing his best to keep his team focused despite the hype that is surrounding them. Despite not even making the playoffs last season, the Lions are being talked about heavily.
The hype train isn’t slowing down any time soon with training camp in full swing. One person that has recently added some fuel to the fire is radio host, Colin Cowherd. On his show, The Herd on FS1 and Fox Sports Radio, Cowherd made a bold prediction about the upcoming season for the Lions.
He believes that the team is not only going to make the playoffs but will win the NFC North for the first time. “I like Jared Goff more than people do and I think Detroit is going to win their division,” Cowherd said, making the case for the Lions’ quarterback in 2023.
Cowherd was in part responding to the quarterback tier rankings that recently came out at The Athletic. Goff came in as a tier-three quarterback ranking No. 15 overall. Right in the middle of the pack, just slightly above average, seems like a fair landing spot for the former No. 1 overall pick.
While Goff doesn’t do anything flashy like some of the tier-one star quarterbacks in the league, he is as steady as they come. When he gets comfortable in a system and finds a groove, we have seen just how good he can be. The three Pro Bowl appearances and one trip to the Super Bowl proved that.
Now, he is looking to snap the Lions’ playoff drought, as the franchise hasn’t been in the postseason since the 2016 season. A playoff win hasn’t occurred in three decades, as the 1991 season was the last time they won a game after the regular season.
As long as Goff can stay healthy and carry over his production from last season, the Lions are going to be in great shape. Things are certainly shaping up in the Motor City as they look to ascend the ranks in the NFC.
