Bold Lions prediction will have the entire city of Detroit partying
By John Buhler
Ever since last season ended, the Detroit Lions have been my pick to win Super Bowl 59 down in New Orleans. It will be a sort of homecoming for head coach Dan Campbell, who cut his teeth on Sean Payton's staff for years prior to getting his opportunity of a lifetime in Detroit. Not that I needed any confirmation bias to uphold my belief, but Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report is right there with me.
In his latest post about big questions that need to be answered this NFL season, he checked yes, Juliet, in that the Lions are going to the Super Bowl, and they're gonna Jalen Ramsey win that b***h. After squandering away their first-ever trip to the Super Bowl last year with a mental meltdown akin to Kyle Shanahan in the fourth quarter of three big games to date, so much more broke the Lions' way.
They didn't lose either of their star coordinators to head-coaching gigs. Ben Johnson was as good as gone ... until he wasn't. Aaron Glenn was a finalist for a few jobs but ultimately decided to return. The Jared Goff contract loomed large until Brad Holmes took care of business. All the while, this team is loaded offensively and the defense continues to build with each passing draft. This is the Lions' year.
Although I could see the Kansas City Chiefs three-peating, willpower and ferocity will propel Detroit.
Detroit Lions could be dancing in the streets after Super Bowl 59 victory
We are at a very interesting cross-section amid the upper crust of the NFL right now. Kansas City is dynastic, but three-peating is unprecedented. San Francisco could win it all, or the 49ers could have seen their Super Bowl window close like the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams have. What about the Philadelphia Eagles? Will they be good? Are the Houston Texans ready for what is to come?
Unlike Lamar Jackson, I trust Jared Goff to play great football in the latter stages of January. Thus far in his pro career, he has played in two NFC Championship Games and been to a Super Bowl. People tend to forget that he was the No. 1 overall pick by the Rams out of Cal for a reason way back in 2016. The dude can really spin it. More importantly, he is brimming with confidence leading this Lions franchise.
Overall, if you are going to pick four teams to win the Super Bowl this year, the Lions have to be among them. I would go with Detroit, Kansas City, San Francisco and Houston in that order, but that is just me. For a team that rarely used to win games, it almost feels like Super Bowl-or-bust for the Lions. Simply put, they have to put it all together this year, as Johnson will be coaching elsewhere in 2025.
It may be untrodden territory for Detroit, but they have been built magnificently to reach the summit.