NFL record predictions for the 2018 regular season
By Ian Cummings
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions could be that team that’s one or two plays away from 10-6. This team has the talent to do a lot of damage, if the right circumstances align themselves. But in this year’s NFC North, that might be asking for a lot.
The NFC North is shaping up to be the toughest division in the NFL this year. The Bears underwent an offensive overhaul and added talented defensive players like Roquan Smith, while bringing back an immense pool of holdover talent, from Adrian Amos to Leonard Floyd. The Viking were a Super Bowl contender last year, and this offseason, they only added talent, upgrading from Case Keenum to Kirk Cousins at quarterback, as well as signing players like Sheldon Richardson and 2018 first-round cornerback Mike Hughes to an already stacked defense.
Even the Packers, as disappointing as their 2017 season was, cannot be counted out as long as Aaron Rodgers is starting. The Lions have a lot of talent on their starting lineup, but in the NFC North, just one or two holes could be the difference from week to week.
At tight end, the Lions don’t have any reliable options, which will hurt in games, as Matthew Stafford often gave Eric Ebron opportunities up the middle. They do have a very talented cast of receivers, however, and Jim Bob Cooter’s offense has always been able to maximize the potential that Stafford holds with these options. That won’t be an issue.
What does remain under question, even after the offseason, is the team’s running game; Kerryon Johnson, the Lions’ second-round pick this year, has a smart, methodical running style, and his workmanlike approach should suit an offense that needs his talents. The Lions needed to add a runner to their stable, but their ability to run the ball meaningfully won’t be proven until Johnson puts it on the field. In Cooter’s pass-happy scheme, that could be an issue.
Personnel changes could encourage Cooter to change things up. Or he could put too much on Stafford’s shoulders. Stafford has proven he can handle pressure. He’s a top-ten passer in the NFL. But when an offense is one-dimensional, the quarterback is the one who suffers the most. Johnson isn’t the surefire NFL talent that Derrius Guice was in Round 2, and the Lions, even with a solid offensive line, may see some initial drawbacks, in that regard.
Among other things, the Lions need some development from Jarrad Davis, their starting linebacker, and they need their free agent acquisitions at that position to come up big. They also need someone to step up at the No. 2 cornerback slot opposite Darius Slay, and they could use more depth at safety. For the Lions, it’s little things. This team could be as high as 11-5 in 2018. But in a stacked NFC North, the Lions might be the team that falls behind.
I live in Michigan. I’ve followed the Lions for years. Trust me when I say that almost every year, when expectations are high, somehow, the circumstances align to belittle the Lions’ fortunes. Could that change under Matt Patricia? I hope so. But in Year 1, when the team and coaches are both adjusting, defaulting to the middle of the pack is a safe bet.