Summer is often the season of NFL record predictions for the upcoming season. A few of those 2022 projections have the Detroit Lions nicely improving on the 3-13-1 record from a year ago.
One of those who foresees even bigger and better things for Detroit is Nate Davis of USA TODAY (subscription required). His official prediction is for the Lions to rocket up to eight wins and finish in second place in the NFC North division.
Here’s what Davis wrote in predicting the Lions to finish 8-9,
They played .500 football over the final six weeks of last season after going winless during the first 11 games. The culture seems to be established even if a building talent quotient probably still isn’t quite ready to challenge for a wild card.
The Minnesota Vikings are also projected to finish 8-9, well behind the Green Bay Packers at the top of the division. The Chicago Bears are at the bottom of the barrel at 4-13.
It’s a rosy picture painted for Detroit and it’s based as much on how well-coached the team is under Dan Campbell than it is the players themselves. That might explain why Campbell is a betting darling on the NFL Coach of the Year front.
Lions schedule: Too-early game-by-game predictions for all 17 games