The Lions are coming off three straight last place finishes and entering year one of a substantial rebuild -- even if the new regime and the new quarterback don't want to call it that.
So it's no surprise they're not exactly offseason darlings. They're already underdogs in every game.
There's the feeling of long-term hope with the arrival of GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell, with the expectation of struggles in the short term.
Which is exactly how NBC Sports' Peter King diagnosed things in his power rankings ahead of the 2021 season. King ranked the Lions 30th in the NFL, ahead of only the Jets and the Texans:
Early reviews on Campbell have been sensational, but the NFL offseason is a time of raging hope for even a team like Detroit, which hasn’t won a playoff game since 1991. The reality of games will likely bring some pain, particularly when the quarterback has been downgraded from Matthew Stafford to Jared Goff and the receiving corps is minus Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones. Add the fact that there isn’t a defensive presence that will scare any offensive coordinator, and you understand that this could be a lean year in Detroit.
That pretty much sums it up. The best thing about the Lions as presently constructed is their offensive line. Everything else falls somewhere between doubtful and questionable. With Campbell at the helm, at least we can expect the team to play hard.
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"The new kneecap-biting attitude of coach Dan Campbell is great, and the Lions need it desperately after the roster tuned out Matt Patricia," says King. "These players won’t tune out Campbell. He’s a fire-and-brimstone preacher who will not stand for losing."
King adds, "I do like the fact that Aaron Glenn, the new defensive coordinator, is a fiery and smart tactician whose players will love playing for him. It’s going to be a lean year, but at least the Lions have a coach the team and the city can rally around, for what that’s worth."
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Meanwhile, King has the Rams ranked No. 6 after the arrival of Matthew Stafford:
Someone could waste a lot of time on a doctoral thesis apportioning blame for the Lions’ postseason futility in Stafford’s 12 Detroit seasons, but the fact is, he was the most important player for the Lions for 12 years and the team never won a division title or a postseason game in his era. At 33, Stafford now has the offensive backing and a stout-enough defense to be great in January.