2017 NFL win/loss projections for all 32 teams
By John Buhler
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are one of the hardest teams to figure out. What are they? They are coming off a surprising NFC playoff berth, where they earned the No. 6 seed at 9-7. The team essentially arrived a year early because quarterback Matthew Stafford was playing at an MVP level in the fourth quarter of games before his middle finger got busted.
Expect Stafford to continue to play at a high level. He and offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter have real, undeniable chemistry. Let’s not forget that Bob Quinn is doing a fine job as general manager and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will be an NFL head coach some day. The problem with the Lions are head coach Jim Caldwell is as stoic as they come and the Lions don’t get out of their own way as an organization.
Detroit needs to get off to a hot start to have a realistic shot at getting back into the playoffs. Their Week 1 game against the Arizona Cardinals is a massively important game for both teams. The winner sees their shot at getting in as a wild card team go up, while the loser is probably not making the NFC Playoffs.
While adding T.J. Lang to the offensive line in free agency helps them out while making the Green Bay Packers worse, losing Taylor Decker for the bulk of 2017 isn’t wonderful. When you’re banking on Greg Robinson to bail your team out at left tackle, you’re going to have a bad time. Adding linebacker Jarrad Davis in the draft and Paul Worrilow in free agency help the middle of the Lions defense, but Detroit is only a middle of the pack NFC at best.
Expect the lucky breaks that went Detroit’s way last fall to most definitely not. The roster may have better chemistry, but drawing the Baltimore Ravens, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers towards the end of the season doesn’t help the Lions’ playoff chances. They’ll be a little bit worse this year record-wise.
Projected Record: 7-9, Misses NFC Playoffs