The Detroit Lions have been great in division games lately, but what will their NFC North record be in 2024?
In 2023, the Detroit Lions took over as king of the NFC North for the first time ever. However, in truth, ever since Dan Campbell took over, they’ve been playing like the division champs. Since Detroit hired Campbell, they hold a 11-7 record in the division, and that includes their 3-13-1 rebuilding season. If you limit it to their last two seasons, Detroit is 9-3 in division play.
On paper, the Lions are better than ever going into 2024. Most of their core remains from the 2023 season, and their biggest downfall last year—their secondary—has been completely revamped in a single offseason.
But the Lions aren’t the only team that has gotten better. The Chicago Bears have a new quarterback behind center after they finished 2023 strong, particularly on defense. The Green Bay Packers nearly made the NFC Championship last year, and while they haven’t had a huge offseason, they’re expected to pick up where they left off. Finally, the Minnesota Vikings probably overperformed last year after losing Kirk Cousins early in the season. With rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy running the ship this year, their variance is probably highest in the division, but they’re a well-coached team capable of pulling off upsets.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
What will the Lions’ record be in the NFC North be in 2024?
My answer: As a reminder, here’s Detroit’s schedule vs. the NFC North:
- Week 7 — @ Vikings — 1 p.m. ET
- Week 9 — @ Packers — 4:25 p.m. ET
- Week 13 — vs. Bears — 12:30 p.m. ET (Thanksgiving)
- Week 14 — vs. Packers — 8:15 p.m. ET (TN)
- Week 16 — @ Bears — 1 p.m ET
- Week 18 — vs. Vikings — 1 p.m. ET
I think the Lions go 4-2 in the division for the second consecutive season. I believe Detroit will hold their home ground and sweep the Vikings. However, I have them losing on the road to both the Bears and Packers. They lost to both teams last year, and I think Chicago and Green Bay will give them a handful in both matchups. It doesn’t help that Detroit will have to travel to Chicago in late December.
As for their bout in Lambeau, the Lions have actually won two straight in Green Bay. The fear of playing in the historic stadium is essentially gone from Detroit’s tough past at the venue. However, Green Bay is contender now. They still have a lot to prove on defense, but they were one of the best teams on offense by the end of the year, and I don’t expect that to go away—even if they lost Aaron Jones and replaced him with Josh Jacobs.
Even though I have the Lions finishing with the same divisional record they had last year, I think it would be a significantly bigger accomplishment to go 4-2 in a much more competitive NFC North this year.
What do you think? Vote in the poll below and share your thoughts at the bottom of the page in the comment section.