What are the minimal expectations for the 2022 Detroit Lions?

September 4, 2022

It’s formally recreation week. Seven days from right this moment, the Detroit Lions will host the Philadelphia Eagles to kick off the workforce’s 2022 common season. It’s been a protracted wait—full of much more Kool Assist ingesting than this fanbase is usually accustomed to—however quickly we can have precise soccer to observe and analyze.

Yr 1 of the Dan Campbell/Brad Holmes period went about as anticipated. Whereas the win/loss complete was most likely decrease than most preseason predictions, there wasn’t a lot of a shock about how the workforce appeared. They fought laborious below Campbell, however with an especially younger roster, there have been loads of errors alongside the way in which.

The honeymoon interval of this regime is nearing its finish. With a few first-round picks, free agent signings and one other 12 months of scheme growth and educating, Lions followers are all of the sudden rising expectations. Most nonetheless suppose this workforce continues to be a 12 months away from competing for a playoff spot, whereas others suppose this might be probably the most stunning groups of 2022.

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Earlier than we begin dreaming of postseason soccer in Detroit, let’s speak in regards to the naked minimal of expectations. At the moment’s Query of the Day is:

What’s the naked minimal of acceptable expectations for the 2022 Detroit Lions?

My reply: Six wins. A 3-win (or two-and-a-half-win, when you’re being precise) enchancment is each reasonable and setting the bar excessive sufficient for this workforce. They’re nonetheless both the youngest or second-youngest roster within the NFL, which implies there’ll proceed to be some psychological errors alongside the way in which. They’re nonetheless quarterbacked by Jared Goff, who has quite a bit to show for a six-year veteran. And their protection stays full of query marks and restricted depth.

However this workforce additionally was enjoying at a degree fairly near a six-win workforce by the tip of final season. Going 3-3 down the stretch, with wins over the Cardinals and a Packers workforce who performed their starters for a half (a half through which the Lions beat Inexperienced Bay), was spectacular sufficient. When you think about how beat-up the roster was at that time of the season, that was no small accomplishments, even with blowouts by the hands of the Seahawks and Broncos alongside the way in which.

In that sense, it virtually seems like six wins is simply too low of a bar for this workforce, and possibly it’s. It could actually be a fairly vital disappointment to see them win fewer video games than that, particularly with what seems to be a fairly mushy schedule.

Nonetheless, the workforce didn’t make that many roster additions this offseason, a lot of their enchancment will depend upon the event of returning gamers. That a lot stays hypothetical, so I’m protecting expectations in verify.

Six wins minimal, or this season will likely be a disappointment.

Your flip.