DETROIT – The Detroit Lions will be back in action Monday night for another season, this one brimming with hopes and expectations around the organization.
As Jim Caldwell brings in another era, the Lions have a realistic chance to make some noise in the NFC North Division and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2011.
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Sports fans from all around the city are excited for the season, including many of us here inside the Local 4 newsroom.
Here are some of the predictions, including season record and the chance to qualify for postseason play:
Hank Winchester, Local 4 Defender:
"The Lions will go 10-6 and make the playoffs as a wildcard team. They will also win the Thanksgiving game, and Joe Fauria will be doing lots of dancing in the end zone with eight touchdowns on the season."
Jeff Wattrick, Managing Editor, ClickOnDetroit.com:
"Detroit will go 9-7, make the playoffs as a wild card team and win a playoff game."
Ian Vickers, Associate Producer:
"The Lions will finish 10-6 as the NFC North champs, but only because they win more division games than the Bears.
Optimistic? Yes. I'm a Lions fan, I'm always optimistic. Sure they have a whole new system. But they needed a new system -- on both sides of the ball.
Sure we have a new coach. But Coach Caldwell looks like a man who gets results and takes pride in his work.
We also have Calvin Johnson.
So this year, the Lions squeak out on top of the NFC North due to their shear will to win. Sure, they have some stiff competition in the Packers and Bears -- Aaron Rodgers being an unstoppable weapon of mass destruction and the Bears' potentially explosive offense. But what if all Aaron Rodgers' weapons are stopped every Sunday? And what if Jay Cutler stays Jay Cutler? I see both those what-ifs coming true. The Vikings, on the other hand, will be the League's punching bag, but will still get a win in the division.
Because of this, the Lions will head to the playoffs for their second time in four years, win a game, but no Super Bowl."
Matt Triplett, Assignment Editor:
"The Lions are going 8-8, and Monday night is a must-win."
Jason Laverty, Assignment Desk Manager:
"7-9, no playoffs."
Luan Kamberovski, Sports Producer:
"The Lions will finish 3rd in the NFC North with a 7-9 record.
There are so many things to love about this year's Detroit Lions team. A quarterback that can make every throw imaginable on a football field, a dynamic "thunder and lightning" backfield, and the best wide-out in the game today
Even with all those highlights, there are still a handful of lowlights.
The offensive line, although improved, still has question marks. Can it make the push at the line of scrimmage to get that important yard or two down in the redzone? Can it keep up physically and mentally with the high-powered fast paced offense the Lions plan on running this year? Can Dominic Raiola block any above average down lineman in the league?
On defense, you really have to make a stretch to find a consistent pass-rush. Suh is one of the most intimidating players in the league, but from a production standpoint, he does not show up on a weekly basis like J.J. Watt does in Houston. Too much will be asked of Ziggy Ansah this year off the edge, and he is not well rounded enough to adapt his game to being a three-down player.
With no consistent pass rush, the secondary will be in an even brighter spotlight this year. A mixture of players that prefer zone over man coverage, or visa versa, I don't see a defensive philosophy available to get any impact out of the group.
Another huge problem the Lions face is that they are in a group with two teams, the Packers and the Bears, that have more complete, well rounded rosters.
If Detroit were playing in the AFC this year, they could be a 10-win division winner. In the NFC, they will struggle to find their way."
Derick Hutchinson, ClickOnDetroit.com:
"The Lions will finish the 2014 season 9-7, but it won't be enough to make the playoffs.
Detroit is one of the most difficult teams in the NFL to predict, because of the gap between talent and results that the organization has shown over the past five years. On one hand, players like Calvin Johnson, Reggie Bush and Ndamukong Suh headline a host of stars that would be the best players on many teams in the league. But on the other hand, the Lions simply seem to find a way to lose enough games to watch the postseason from home every year. A perfect example is the 2012 season, when the Lions went 4-12 with largely the same core of players.
A quick glance at this season's schedule could justify a 12-4 season in Detroit, but the Lions could also realistically finish in the neighborhood of 6-10. They're much more likely to land somewhere in the middle with the potential to trend upwards and shock the nation or downwards to disappoint fans once again."
Andrew Humphrey, Local 4 Meteorologist:
"The Lions will go 10-6 and make the playoffs. They have the smartest head coaches and some of the most talented players in the NFL. GO LIONS"
Halston Herrera, Senior Online News Editor:
"The Lions will finish 11-5 and win the NFC North."
Ken Haddad, Social Media Producer:
"Detroit is going 9-7 and make the playoffs as a wildcard team."
Paul Gross, Local 4 Meteorologist:
"My prediction is that the Lions will go 9-7.
The Lions have a ton of offensive weapons and should score a lot of points this year, so the only question is the defense. Suh is playing in a contract year, and he just saw the $100 million contract signed by the Houston Texans' J.J. Watt, so he's going to be particularly motivated and should have a good (hopefully dominant) season. If our defensive line can stop the run and put a lot of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, then that will bail out a below average secondary that has few playmakers.
The wild card in all of this is that we have a head coach and two players this year who have been to Super Bowls. They know about the commitment needed to get to that level, and they will be important leaders in our locker room. I think the Lions will surprise this year with a couple of upsets that will get people's attention. But ending the season with outdoor December roads games at Chicago and Green Bay is unfair (hey NFL, don't you even look at the schedules before you post them?), and is asking a lot. I don't expect a Super Bowl for us this year, but perhaps stealing the final wild card spot and playing competitive in the playoff game is possible. This season is important step forward, and I have high expectations the next 2-3 years."
Alison Darany, Assignment Editor:
"Detroit will go 11-5 and finish the season as the NFC North Champs.
Stafford should be able to get points on the board with all the offensive talent this season. As long as our D can back that up, we might finally have a winning season.
'Down the field and gain, a Lion victory…..GOOO LIONS!'"
David Bartkowiak, Online News Editor:
"The Lions will miss the playoffs, finishing 6-10."
Alex Altwell, WDIV Photojournalist:
"The Lions are going 11-5 and winning the NFC North."
What does the newsroom think?
The Local 4 newsroom is optimistic about the Lions this season. Nine of the 14 participants think Detroit will be in the playoffs this season, including four who believe an NFC North championship is on its way.
On average, the 14 voters think the Lions are headed for roughly a 9-7 final record. Over the past 10 years, 30 teams have finished 9-7 in the NFL, and only 12 have advanced to the postseason.