Analyst Labels Lions Playoff Pretenders for Rest of 2022

Lions Fan


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A Lions fan watches a 2022 game against the Packers.

The Detroit Lions are suddenly in a position that few thought they would be, winners of two in a row and suddenly maintainers of major momentum as the second half of the season drags on.

As a result, some folks are allowing themselves to think the Lions could even be potential contenders for a playoff birth as the stretch run of the season presses on. Obviously, the Lions would have to keep winning to make that happen, but how capable is the team of a run?

Many are beginning to weigh in on that topic, and the news might not be that good for fans hoping to see the team make a run in the second half. NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha put together a list of ranking contenders and pretenders in the NFC.

Not surprisingly, the Lions are considered a pretender at this point according to Chadiha. He included the Lions in the 14 position on his NFC power ranking, and in the “party is over” category.

The reasoning? Detroit simply hasn’t been able to score enough close wins to be taken as a threat this season.

“This writer was high on the Lions for reasons that are hard to explain today. It’s not a question of talent, because they have a decent amount of it (and a top-10 scoring offense). It’s about learning how to win. The Lions have won their last two games by a combined score of seven points. They also have four other one-score games that they’ve lost on the way to a 3-6 record,” he wrote.

At this point, it would be a long shot for the Lions to make the playoffs, but if anything, this designation only proves how close the team could have come had they simply been able to put away some big wins early on in the year.

Detroit couldn’t get the job done, and for them, that means another year of being seen as pretenders. It’s a label they hope to shed soon.


Lions Hanging Around NFL Playoff Picture

While some might find the notion of the Lions being in the playoff picture funny, the truth is, the team is suddenly just two games behind seventh place and the San Francisco 49ers who have a 5-4 record.

Detroit would have to keep winning in order to leapfrog some other 4-6 teams before they could even begin to think about chasing down San Francisco. The Cardinals, Commanders, Falcons and Packers are all ahead of the Lions in the standings. Right now, Detroit would own a tiebreaker over Washington and Green Bay, however.

The missing the playoffs is probably a foregone conclusion for these Lions, but the fact that the team is even thinking of the conversation right now points to how hard they have battled to right the ship recently.

That can be true even if the Lions have next to no chance in order to break through and claim a 2022-23 playoff birth.


Lions Shaping up as Future Contenders

While Detroit doesn’t have much of a path to the playoffs this season barring some type of miracle, that is clearly the goal for the team in future years.

The Lions have been building up their roster with young talent with hopes of contending in the future. It’s possible 2023 or 2024 could be the years the Lions consider as prime time to make a run with a roster that gets more experience and begins to trend in the right direction.

Right now, the Lions don’t have the depth needed across the board to be seen as true contenders, but that might change more than a bit in the future. That won’t help them the rest of the 2022 season, though.

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