The Lions are living up to preseason expectations as an NFC powerhouse. Which teams are their biggest obstacles to a Super Bowl appearance?
Through five weeks of the season, the Detroit Lions are living up to the hype as one of the strongest teams in the league, and one of a few candidates for “the team to beat” in the NFC. Of course, the first competitor for that title would be the San Francisco 49ers, whom the Lions lost to in the NFC Championship last year. Who else is in the Lions’ way?
Question of the day: Which team is the biggest threat to the Lions in the NFC?
My answer: The 49ers are a good default answer here, but I think the Minnesota Vikings have claimed the crown as the strongest NFC contender right now. Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores are running a well-oiled machine, including beating the 49ers in Week 1 and handily taking down the Green Bay Packers last week.
Minnesota’s next game is against the Lions as the Vikings come off a bye, so it’ll be a very good litmus test for how good these two teams really are. Divisional games are going to be a bloodbath in the NFC North this year, as it’s shaping up to be the best division in football. Early indications are that Minnesota is legit, being the only undefeated team left in the conference.
Minnesota seems to have found an answer at quarterback in Sam Darnold and they’ve managed to stay healthy thus far. Bar any major changes to that, the road to the Super Bowl looks like it’ll run through Minnesota. However, with two games still to be played against the Lions, including Week 18, this division could come down to the wire.
Who do you think is the Lions’ biggest threat in the NFC? Let us know in the comments.
