Hapless for decades, Lions finally have a shot to shake up the NFC

In 1935, the Lions' victory in the NFL title game proved Detroit was a sports juggernaut. Concurrent triumphs by the Tigers in the World Series and Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Final, combined with Joe Louis' ascent to boxing superstardom, inspired President Franklin D. Roosevelt and every state governor to sign a plaque naming Detroit "the City of Champions."

In 1953, iconic Lions quarterback Bobby Layne led a last-ditch touchdown drive to edge the Browns by a point in the NFL final. The pioneer of the two-minute drill, Layne was a Hall of Famer and an alumnus of Matthew Stafford's high school. He missed a championship rematch in 1957 because of injury, but Detroit romped anyway, demolishing Cleveland 59-14.

Bobby Layne looks to pass in the 1953 NFL title game. George Gelatly / Getty Images

What a difference 66 years make. Detroit has one playoff victory since the '57 title. No NFL team has lost more games since the 1970 merger, per Stathead. The Lions possess more winless seasons than Super Bowl appearances (the count is 2-0). They'll fail to clinch a division title for a 30th straight campaign if they undershoot expectations in 2023.

That's right: Detroit's a popular pick to top the NFC North. Winless in 1942 and 2008, absent from the playoffs since 2016, the Lions have inspired belief that they'll shake up the conference this season.

The 2022 stretch run teased the Lions' potential. They finished on an 8-2 tear, rose to fourth in the NFC in point differential, and remained in playoff contention until the season finale. Quarterback Jared Goff ranked fifth in touchdown throws (29) and sixth in passing yards (4,438). Beyond tallying 9.5 sacks, Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up Aidan Hutchinson dropped into coverage to fool and intercept Aaron Rodgers and Daniel Jones.

Aidan Hutchinson showing off those hands. His 2nd interception of the year!

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Explosive offensively, Detroit placed fifth in scoring and tied for the NFL lead in 30-point games with eight, per Stathead. Consistently open, wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown ranked in the top 10 in targets, catches, and receiving first downs. The offensive line shielded Goff from harm by posting the league's second-lowest sack rate.

Porous defending hurt the Lions. They were 28th in points allowed and received PFF's worst team coverage grade. Falling 48-45 to the Seahawks in Week 4 - the Lions allowed 555 yards, didn't force a punt or turnover, and were scored on twice in each quarter - ultimately handed Seattle the wild-card tiebreaker over Detroit.

General manager Brad Holmes had a busy offseason, overhauling some units ahead of Dan Campbell's third year as head coach.

Jeff Okudah, the third overall pick in 2020, was offloaded to the Falcons for a fifth-rounder as part of a broader cornerback revamp. Holmes signed Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley to strengthen that position and also landed safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the reigning NFL interceptions co-leader with six.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson helped the Eagles reach Super Bowl LVII. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

St. Brown, a burgeoning star who turns 24 in October, remains the offensive focal point. Around him, Detroit is older at receiver (Marvin Jones returns to replace DJ Chark) and younger at running back. Four-time 800-yard rusher David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs succeed Jamaal Williams and D'Andre Swift as the one-two punch.

Holmes' draft decisions raised eyebrows. He prioritized devalued positions in the first round, adding Gibbs at No. 12 and linebacker Jack Campbell at No. 18. Detroit was the only team theScore identified as a loser following Round 1, though second-round selection Sam LaPorta projects to contribute immediately at tight end.

Whether the Lions can sustain two of last season's turnarounds will shape their 2023 campaign.

Interception-prone with the Rams, Goff didn't throw a pick over his final 324 pass attempts of 2022. He led all quarterbacks in expected points added per play between Weeks 9 and 18, per Ben Baldwin's database. Goff's peers ranked him ninth among QBs and 66th overall in the NFL Top 100, saluting him in the preseason countdown for the first time in four years. Still young at 28, he'll attempt to build on that encouraging stretch.

Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown connected for six touchdowns last season. Patrick McDermott / Getty ImagesAidan Hutchinson runs onto the field as a rookie. Gregory Shamus / Getty Images

The Lions' defense found its footing around midseason, too.

In 2022, Detroit fielded the league's least efficient defense in the second half of games and ranked 31st in defensive EPA/play on third-down snaps, per Baldwin's data. Those Lions couldn't get off the field and faltered in crunch time, blowing 14-point leads to the Vikings in September and Dolphins in October. From Week 9 onward, though, Detroit's No. 21 rank in defensive EPA/play was not only tolerable, it led all NFC North clubs.

The division is up for grabs. Fake contenders in 2022, the Vikings put up a negative point differential while going 11-0 in one-score games. Their luck is bound to regress just as Jordan Love is bound to encounter growing pains as the Packers' quarterback. The last-place Bears made a flurry of moves but have a long way to climb before they'll inspire playoff buzz.

Most phenomenal quarterbacks play in the AFC. Comparably few NFC teams are fearsome. If the Lions secure the No. 3 playoff seed, they'd probably avoid a wild-card date with the Eagles or Cowboys, assuming one is the NFC East runner-up. Last year's Vikings steered clear of those heavyweights yet still failed to advance, losing at home to the Giants by a touchdown.

Facing anyone in the playoffs would constitute progress for the Lions. Franchise legends barely got to shine on the stage. Barry Sanders' teams went 1-5 in the postseason. Calvin Johnson racked up 211 receiving yards in his playoff debut - a 17-point loss to the Saints. Winless with Detroit in three starts, Stafford raised the Lombardi Trophy as soon as the Rams acquired him for Goff and draft picks.

No QB since Erik Kramer or head coach since Wayne Fontes has presided over a Lions playoff win. In 1995, All-Pro left tackle Lomas Brown infamously guaranteed victory in a wild-card clash that the Eagles proceeded to lead 51-7. The controversial reversal of a Cowboys pass-interference penalty in 2014 forced Detroit to punt on the next snap. Sam Martin shanked it, and Tony Romo went on to orchestrate the decisive touchdown drive.

Starting strong this season is vital. Dan Campbell has overseen 1-6 and 0-10-1 starts that buried Detroit in the standings.

Tapped to visit the Chiefs next Thursday in the NFL opener, the Lions also face the Seahawks and Ravens ahead of their Week 9 bye. They play divisional opponents in five of the last eight weeks, including Minnesota in Weeks 16 and 18.

Beating the Vikings in 2008 would have spared the franchise embarrassment. Minnesota edged Detroit 12-10 and 20-16 in the winless season. Hightailing it away from Jared Allen, Dan Orlovsky ran out of the back of the end zone in his first career start to personify the Lions' haplessness.

Detroit used to house champions, but hasn't clinched a title since the Red Wings' 2008 Stanley Cup run. Merely winning the NFC North would elate the city. The Lions team that ends the drought and keeps rolling in January will be celebrated for a long time to come. Maybe this is the year.

Nick Faris is a features writer at theScore.

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