When the NFL schedule was announced back in May, many were interested in what would be the first game of the 2023 season.It was widely a sumed that the reigning Super Bowl champion, the Chiefs, would host the Thursday night kickoff game. But who would they face? The NFL had a lot of options.The league could have had the Chiefs face the Eagles in a rematch of Super Bowl 57; it also could have reignited the Chiefs vs. Bengals rivalry, which heated up after Cincinnati players called Arrowhead Stadium "Burrowhead" before the two squads met last postseason; and, as always, the league could have considered a divisional opponent like the Chargers or Raiders to ring in the new season with a cla sic rivalry.Instead, the NFL decided to put the Lions in the kickoff game. This caught many off-guard, as the Lions hadn't been a playoff team in 2022, as they posted a 9-8 record and mi sed postseason qualification due to a lost tiebreaker against the Seahawks.But a deeper dive into the Lions and the hype surrounding them in 2023 shows that the NFL's choice has the potential to be an intriguing one.IYER: Here's what to know about the NFL's choice for its season-opening matchup and whether the Lions can emerge as a surprise Super Bowl contender.The Lions are playing in the NFL opener against the Chiefs for a simple reason. They earned the opportunity to do so after their season-closing win over the Packers to close the 2022 NFL season."The last time we saw the Lions they were winning eight of 10 and going into Lambeau and ruining the Packers season," Mike North, the NFL's Vice President of Broadcast Planning, explained, per . "Theyve earned this. They have earned this spotlight, they have earned this platform."Indeed, the Lions' prime-time win over the Packers was an impre sive one. Detroit had already been eliminated from postseason contention by a Seahawks win earlier in the day. Even so, Dan Campbell and Co. fought hard to spoil a win-and-in opportunity for the Packers and put an end to the Aaron Rodgers era at Lambeau Field.Not only was that win a solid capper to the season, but it demonstrated the marked strides that the Lions made in Campbell's second season.
Austin Blythe Jersey They bounced back from a 1-6 start to be one of the NFL's most explosive offenses. And while the defense had holes, the young unit showed signs of improvement late in the season, as rookies Aidan Hutchinson and Kirby Joseph proved to be big-time playmakers for the unit.As North detailed, the Lions were just one of many quality options that the NFL considered for the season opener."The truth is any one of the Kansas City home opponents wouldve been great," North said. "We looked at Philly, wouldve been fun for a Super Bowl rematch, just kind of pick up where we left off in February.""Any of the division games wouldve worked, Cincy and Buffalo wouldve been great. Any of the Kansas City games wouldve been great."Even so, Detroit has only improved markedly during the offseason. So, on paper, the Lions provide an intriguing and potentially explosive opponent for the Chiefs to face. They also add something different to the fold, as the Chiefs and Lions haven't played since 2019, when Matthew Stafford, Kerryon Johnson and Kenny Golladay were the leaders of Detroit's offense.Add in that Campbell and the Lions became fan favorites for their performance on "Hard Knocks" in 2022 and it only seemed logical for Detroit to be the selection.MORE:The hype around the Lions isn't just limited to NFL fans, however. They have become a sleeper darling among bettors as well.Case in point: The Lions currently sport +2200 odds to win the Super Bowl, per . That ranks ninth in the NFL and fourth among NFC teams.RankTeamOdds1Chiefs+6002Eagles+8003Bills+900449ers+10005Bengals+11006Cowboys+15007Ravens+1800Jets+18009Lions+220010Chargers+2500Dolphins+2500Additionally, the Lions are favored to win the NFC North in 2023, per BetMGM. That's a notable development considering that Detroit hasn't won a division title since 1993.TeamOddsLions+135Vikings+270Packers+350Bears+450Of course, that doesn't mean that the Lionswin the division; nor is it a guarantee that they will be a Super Bowl contender if
JuJu Smith-Schuster Jersey they do earn the NFC North crown.But what it does mean is that NFL fans, media analysts and bettors alike have high expectations for the Lions in 2023. That's why their odds to win the division and Super Bowl are so short. It's also why Detroit sold out its season tickets at Ford Field in advance of the season for the first time in 22 years.That's the question that the Lions will have to answer in 2023.MORE:Only time will tell if the Lions can live up to the hype. That said, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about them. Below are a handful of them:Dynamic offensive playmakersThe Lions may not have an offense full of household names, but they have a unit that can score a lot of points and should be fortified by a couple of early-round rookies.Jahmyr Gibbs figures to be an upgrade at running back. He should be a three-down playmaker for the Lions. Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta also figures to be a quality starter early in his NFL career. Add in reception machine Amon-Ra St. Brown and speedster Jameson Williams, and this offense could exceed its 26.6-point-per-game output from last season.A top-tier offensive lineThe Lions sport one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. They have an All-Pro-caliber center in Frank Ragnow, a top-tier
Joe Montana Jersey tackle tandem of Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell and a Pro Bowler Jonah Jackson at left guard. Right guard is the weak link up front, but the team has veterans Graham Glasgow and Halapoulivaati Vaitai at the position. That should give their playmakers time to get downfield while giving quarterback Jared Goff time to throw the ball.Jared Goff's improvement since 2019 Super Bowl run with the Rams Getty Images Speaking of Goff, he's no longer the laughingstock of the NFL. There was a time when it looked like he was a bust for the Rams, but he has leveled his performance greatly during his two years in Detroit. Last season, he completed 65.1 percent of his pa ses for 4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His interception percentage of 1.2 was a career-low.That performance is a good sign for the Lions. Why? It demonstrates that Goff can command and manage Detroit's offense, just as he did during his two Pro Bowl years with the Rams. Los Angeles made it to the Super Bowl during the 2019 postseason, so perhaps Goff could have similar luck in 2023.Granted, some will point out that Rams team had a much better defense than what the Lions po se s this season. That may be true, but Goff is also a better quarterback now than he was then. In his three postseason outings in 2019, Goff completed just 55.7 percent of his pa ses for 712 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. It's hard to imagine him struggling in such a vein during a potential 2023-24 playoff run.As such, Goff and the Lions offense can likely provide more than what the Rams were able to during their 2019 playoff run, when Los Angeles averaged just 19.7 points per game.A remade secondaryWhile the Lions' defense may be worse than the 2018 Rams defense, they should still be better than the unit that struggled to prevent teams from scoring last season. One of the main reasons for that is the upgrades that the team has made to its secondary.Detroit signed three starting defensive backs Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and CJ Gardner-Johnson during NFL free agency. They will likely start at the three cornerback spots with Gardner-Johnson having the potential to move around to various positions. They will be joined by safety Kirby Joseph, who emerged as a ballhawk last year, and Tracy Walker, who mi sed most of last season with a torn Achilles.With that said, it appears that the Lions will, in effect, have four new players starting for them in 2023. They also have second-round pick Brian Branch ready to play a do-it-all role as well. Their depth and talent have certainly improved, so that should help Detroit avoid giving up the type of ma sive pa sing plays that it did last season.Young stars on defenseBeyond the secondary improvement, the Lions have a couple of young stars on defense who will be worth watching. Aidan Hutchinson was one of them. The runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year racked up 9.5 sacks during his first season and should have a chance to eclipse double digits in 2023.The other star to watch is Jack Campbell. Many were confused by the Lions taking Campbell 18th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, but the Iowa linebacker is a true, three-down star and could have a Bobby Wagner or Luke Kuechly-type impact on this Lions defense. He looked great in the preseason, so he could be the glue that helps the improved secondary mesh with Detroit's solid-looking pa s rush.Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson's coachingIt's rarer that you see a team develop into a contender without strong coaching. The Lions have that in Campbell and Johnson.Campbell has established himself as a player-friendly coach who gets the most out of his players. He may have the occasionally wacky soundbite or over-aggre sive
Derrick Nnadi Jersey fourth-down call, but he is a great motivator and has, seemingly, learned from some of the mistakes that he made early in his NFL tenure.As for Johnson, he has turned the Lions' offense into one of the best units in the NFL. The 37-year-old has drawn a lot of attention for his work with Goff and if the quarterback continues to play well, Johnson may be the hottest coaching candidate on the market this offseason.Add in Aaron Glenn and the Lions may have one of more underrated coach and coordinator combinations around the NFL.MORE:As many positives as there are about the Lions, it's also fair to wonder whether they will fall short of expectations. After all, they haven't had many heaped on them in recent seasons, so it's tough to say how they will respond to the pre sure.Beyond that, the usual pitfalls that derail quality teams could come into play. One would be injuries. The Lions have quality depth, for the most part, but there are a few places where they are a bit thin. For example, the receiver room is lacking a bit with Jameson Williams suspended. So, if Amon-Ra St. Brown goes down, the Lions may slump a bit offensively.The other potential i sue will be incorporating new players into the lineup. While the Lions have gotten better this offseason, it may take them some extra time
Derrick Gore Jersey to mesh at the beginning of the season, especially in the secondary. If that proce s takes longer than expected, Detroit could find itself starting a bit slower than it is hoping.But with that said, the positives outweigh the negatives in a se sing the Lions. They have the potential needed to be a playoff team and, if all goes well for them, they could get hot at make a pa s at the Lombardi Trophy.At the same time,we simply won't know how the Lions will fare until they get on the field during the regular season. Many NFL teams look good on paper at this point. Until we see how things actually come together and, perhaps more importantly, which teams get lucky and unlucky with injuries it's hard to say which teams are true Super Bowl contenders beyond a few.But no matter what, it's easy to see why the NFL wanted to get the Lions on the field as quickly as po sible. They have a chance to be a fun team to watch in 2023.
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