The Detroit Lions have two wins under their belt, but they aren’t the only hot team in the NFC North right now. Are they still the best team in their division?
A record of two wins and one loss is not the ideal start that the Detroit Lions envisioned, but it is nonetheless a successful start to the season. However, they are not the only team playing well in the NFC North.
The Lions are currently tied with the Green Bay Packers at 2-1 early in the 2024 season, just behind the undefeated Minnesota Vikings at 3-0. Both of those teams have dealt with injuries to their starting quarterbacks, but both have weathered the storm, in no small part to their defenses. The Chicago Bears sit in last place at 1-2, having struggled to find their offensive footing despite some good defensive showings.
While the Lions entered the year as a majority favorite to win the NFC North, they have not played to their full potential and, given the hot starts by the Packers and Vikings, it might lead to some questions about which team will claim the division crown.
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Are the Detroit Lions still the best team in the NFC North?
My answer: Yes they are.
In a vacuum and looking solely at the first three games of the season, the Vikings have been the more impressive team. Not only do they sit at 3-0, but their victories have been definitive. They stomped the New York Giants in Week 1. They then won a hard-fought battle with the San Francisco 49ers, one of the better teams in the NFC and NFL. In Week 3, they crushed the up-and-coming Houston Texans. Through those three games, they have a point differential of +55. They are rolling on offense and smothering on defense.
However, the season is young. Three games do not make a season, and there is a long road ahead for the NFC North.
While the Vikings are playing the best football right now, that is unlikely to be true come December. Sam Darnold is the wild card for the Vikings right now—will he turn into a pumpkin when the clock strikes midnight? You can argue that he was put into a poor situation for most of his career, but in his prior six seasons, he was more mediocre than good. A player like Justin Jefferson makes things easier for any quarterback, but I still question if Darnold can truly maximize an NFL offense. The Vikings defense has made things peachy for his offense, can he step up in high-pressure situations?
As for the Packers, they have survived so far. Jordan Love was injured in the dying seconds of their opening game, but have rebounded with two victories with Malik Willis at the helm. The Week 2 tilt was more of a game-managing situation for Willis, throwing the ball just 14 times while Josh Jacobs amassed 32 carries and 151 yards. Their Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans was a full effort from offense and defense, though the Titans are looking extremely dysfunctional to start the season. When Love is inserted back into the offense, the passing attack will surely see an uptick, but I think their defensive success so far is more of a mirage in contrast to the Vikings.
With the Bears as an unserious team at the moment, that leaves the Lions competing for the division crown, and I think they have a leg up in the long run. While the Lions offense has been subpar to start the season, needing overtime to reach their season-best 26 points, the defensive turnaround has been impressive. The secondary overhaul has been successful thus far, holding Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray to 185 and 207 passing yards, respectively. An aspect of the defense that makes their life easier is the improved defensive line. The run defense was already a positive in 2023, but now they have Aidan Hutchinson elevating his game and a better supporting cast around him.
I think the Lions offense can and will turn things around. The 2023 and 2024 offenses are nearly identical in structure, so there is little reason for the sluggish start so far. I believe it is a case of a team trying to regain its chemistry. Sam LaPorta’s injuries have hampered his start to the season, but we have seen Amon-Ra St. Brown shake off a quiet Week 1 performance and return to his usual elite ways. I trust the Lions’ offense more than the Vikings’ purely due to their track record. I do not see a reason to believe that 2023 was a fluke.
The Vikings and Packers will likely challenge for playoff spots down the road, but I still believe that the Lions are the better team. The Lions were carried by their offense last season, so imagine how dominant they could be if they recapture that level of play and pair it with the stout defense we have seen thus far. Too often the Lions had a good offensive performance or a good defensive performance. It is time we get to see a good offensive and defensive performance at the same time.
If (when?) that happens, the North should be on alert.
