The Detroit Lions will sport one of the best teams in the NFL in 2024 after going 12-5 and making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game last season.
But could the Lions win north of 10 games and still not finish in first place in the NFC North? That remains to be seen, but one NFL analyst thinks it's going to happen.
According to USA TODAY's Nate Davis, the Lions will finish with an 11-6 record, which is just one win shy of what they had in 2023. We actually predicted Detroit would win 11 games this season, but we also have them winning the division.
However, Davis doesn't see things shaking out like that, as he has the Green Bay Packers going and winning 13 games to finish in first place. Here's what he said about the Lions:
(5) Detroit Lions (11-6): Like the Pack, their Lombardi bid last season came up just short in a playoff loss at San Francisco. However outside expectations will now match what HC Dan Campbell has demanded internally from his team the past few years. The rest of a division the Lions just won for the first time is also fast improving. A pathway to the first Super Bowl berth in franchise history likely requires a strong start as the Lions play just two home games over an eight-week period spanning October and November. But it could happen if a young core continues to blossom – WR Jameson Williams needs to step up – and reaps results from an upgraded pass defense.
And the Packers:
(2) Green Bay Packers (13-4): What a dazzling statement QB Jordan Love made in his first year as the post-Rodgers starter, driving what was the league’s youngest roster in 2023 to the verge of an appearance in the NFC championship game. This talent-teeming nucleus should continue to ascend, especially if it enjoys the expected boosts from the new set of rookies and free agent additions like RB Josh Jacobs and S Xavier McKinney. But the real delta here could occur courtesy of new DC Jeff Hafley, who’s shifting the scheme and charged with shifting the fortunes of a bunch that’s underachieved despite being armed with seven first-round picks. Fresh rings in Titletown? Could be.
Lions fans would be hard-pressed to be upset about an 11-win season, but it loses its luster if the Packers end up surpassing that total and win the division.
Davis' prediction is bold, to say the least. There's no question quarterback Jordan Love showed a ton of promise during his first full season as a starter, but it's still just one season.
Now, that's not to say Love and the Packers won't be good in 2024, because they likely will be. However, we'll have to see them unseat the Lions to believe it, especially after Detroit bolstered its defense during the 2024 offseason.
As far as the rest of the NFC North goes in Davis' predictions, he has the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings going 9-8 and 5-12, respectively.
