DETROIT – Football is back! Well, it's not officially back until the Patriots and Chiefs take the field tomorrow night, right here on Local 4… wink wink, shameless plug.
I have this theory this year: You have the Patriots on the top, you have the Browns and Jets on the bottom, and then you have 29 other teams all kind of jumbled together.
Recommended Videos
Everyone else is pretty much an 8-8 team, few good bounces and you’re a 10-win team playing football in January. A few bad bounces and you find yourself looking ahead to the NFL Draft in April.
Don’t believe me?
I’ll prove it. I’ll make a case for the Lions going 16-0 this year, and at the same time, I’ll make a case for them dropping all 16 games and joining the ’08 team at 0-16. Let’s start with Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.
WEEK 1 VS ARIZONA CARDINALS
Why they will win.
Carson Palmer is not the same player he once was. He was slow and immobile when he came out of USC a million years ago. A few knee surgeries later, and this guy can barely take a five-step drop. Last year the constant pressure got to Palmer. He threw 14 interceptions, and put the ball on the ground 14 more times when hit. Without Kerry Hyder, and a way less than 100 percent Ziggy Ansah the Lions should still be able to get bodies near Palmer to disrupt his throws, force a few turnovers and easily start the year 1-0.
Why they will lose.
Have you heard of David Johnson? He’s a running back, and he’s really good at his job. So good in fact that he decided to not only be a great running back, but to also be one heck of a wide receiver. If you’re in a fantasy football league with halfway decent owners, you saw him go off the board with the first pick. Johnson single-handedly won games for the Cards last season, and he should have no problem doing it week 1. 0-1.
WEEK 2 AT NEW YORK GIANTS
Why they will win.
Speaking of your fantasy football league, how far did Odell Beckham Jr. fall? If you have to play the Giants this year, the earlier in the season the better. If Odell doesn’t play, keep in mind he didn’t play in the final 2 preseason games, and hasn’t even taken the practice field since that nasty hit against the Browns. The Giants can’t do anything to scare the Lions. They haven’t had a running game in years, and Brandon Marshall was brought in to compliment Beckham, not be the number one guy. 2-0.
Why they will lose.
Even though the hit looked bad, I really don’t see Odell missing this game. When he’s out there, he commands a double team, that means Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard get to run around the field in single coverage. Eli can pick apart a defense, and when he puts points on the board, the defense tends to make plays. Last year the Giants tied for the NFC lead in interceptions with 17. If the Lions fall behind early, they will have to abandon the run game, that means interceptions. 0-2.
WEEK 3 VS ATLANTA FALCONS
Why they will win.
The Super Bowl Curse, it’s real, and it’s spectacular. Ever since the Bills stopped going back to the Super Bowl to lose every year, the team that has lost the Super Bowl has failed to make it back to the playoffs almost half the time. No one expected the Panthers to miss the playoffs last year, but the curse hit them hard. If the Falcons are going to miss the playoffs, they’re going to get off to a slow start. 3-0.
Why they will lose.
Julio Jones. 0-3.
WEEK 4 AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Why they will win.
Adrian Peterson can’t hurt you anymore. In 14 career games against the Lions, AP has rushed for 1,490 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Vikings won 10 of those games. Without Peterson the Vikings have no identity. 4-0.
Why they will lose.
Out with the old, in with the new. Peterson may be gone, but Latavius Murray and Dalvin Cook form a pretty good two-punch combo. Murray put up 12 touchdowns a year ago, and is a load to tackle. Cook, well if you’re a Michigan fan you know exactly what Dalvin Cook can do. 0-4.
WEEK 5 VS CAROLINA PANTHERS
Why they will win.
As crazy as it sounds, the Panthers do not have a good defense. It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s true. Last year they ranked 26th in points allowed, giving up 25.1 points per game. Stafford can, and will attack the weak secondary, put up 400 yards and 4 touchdowns en route to a blowout victory. 5-0.
Why they will lose.
Cam Newton is still one of the most dangerous players in the league. Last season he was without his number one option Kelvin Benjamin, and didn’t have a threat out of the backfield. This year, Benjamin is healthy, and Christian McCaffrey is about as well rounded a running back as you can be. When you can’t key in on Cam as just a passer, or just a runner, he is impossible to stop. 0-5.
WEEK 6 VS NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Why they will win.
Ever since the playoff loss back in 2012, the Lions have won three-straight against the Saints. Last year, in the Superdome the Lions defense held the Drew Brees to just 13 points. I’m not trying to say the Lions have his number, but Brees has thrown four interceptions in those games helping the Lions offense get some easy scores. More of the same from the defense and the Lions can cruise. 6-0.
Why they will lose.
Remember all that stuff I said about Adrian Peterson being gone from Minnesota and not being able to hurt the Lions anymore? Well, he still can, and he still will. The Saints have three solid running backs, led by the future first ballot hall of famer to soften up the Lions defense. When that happens, Brees will pick apart the secondary. 0-6.
WEEK 8 VS PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Why they will win.
Sunday Night Football at Ford Field, the crowd will be insane. The Steelers have one of the best offenses in football, there may not be a defense that can slow it down. The Lions will be playing with 12 men that night, Big Ben turns the ball over a few times. 7-0.
Why they will lose.
Dual threat running backs are kryptonite to the Lions. Bell, when on the field, is the best running back in the league. He can beat you 5 different ways, and if you somehow manage to slow him down, Antonio Brown finds openings in even the tightest secondaries. Steelers score too many points. 0-7.
WEEK 9 AT GREEN BAY PACKERS
Why they will win.
Even I’ll admit, this one is going to be tough, but the Packers still don’t have a running game. Ty Montgomery is playing out of position every time he is lined up behind Aaron Rodgers. He can’t pick up a blitz, and by week 9 Jarrad Davis will be comfortable being left alone in the middle of the field allowing Teryl Austin the ability to dial up as many blitzes as he wishes. 8-0.
Why they will lose.
Aaron Rodgers has started 16 games in his career against the Lions, so let’s have some fun. In those games he has completed over 66 percent of his passes, thrown for 4,058 yards, 34 touchdowns, and only six interceptions for a QB rating of 109.4! And just for good measure, hes rushed for 238 yards, and three more touchdowns. He has put up an All-Pro season against the Lions. Good luck. 0-8.
WEEK 10 VS CLEVELAND BROWNS
Why they will win.
They’re the Browns, you better be able to beat them. 9-0.
Why they will lose.
I don’t know, Jabrill Peppers comes into his own, scores a touchdown out of the wildcat, by recovering a fumble, and from a punt return. 0-9.
WEEK 11 AT CHICAGO BEARS
Why they will win.
At this point in the season, the Bears will have given the keys to rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky. They will still be without anything close to a No. 1 option at the receiver position. 10-0.
Why they will lose.
Last year the Bears were a very bad team, yet somehow, the Lions, a playoff team, lost at Soldier Field. It really doesn’t matter who plays QB for the Bears, Bryan Hoyer started last year’s game and threw for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns. 0-10.
WEEK 12 VS MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Why they will win.
Sam Bradford has it made in Minnesota. Solid defense, two good running backs, and speed at the receiver position. But Sam Bradford is a bad quarterback, who somehow manages to get worse as the season progresses. 11-0.
Why they will lose.
At times, the Vikings defense can be suffocating. The defense/special teams scored five touchdowns last season. The defense scored the only 2 touchdowns in a win at Tennessee last season. Even with a bad QB, a strong defense - and solid ground game travels late in the season. 0-11.
WEEK 13 AT BALTIMORE RAVENS
Why they will win.
The Baltimore offense has not been the same since Jim Caldwell left as the offensive coordinator. Joe Flacco had the best stretch of his career in the postseason with Caldwell calling plays for him. Caldwell knows what Flacco does well, and also knows what Flacco isn’t capable of doing, that makes an easy week of game prep for coach. 12-0.
Why they will lose.
The Baltimore defense still plays every single snap the way Ray Lewis made them play when his purple 52 was flying sideline to sideline. The Ravens have one of the best front seven’s in football led by Terrell Suggs who always seems to make a big play in big games. Late sack fumble seals it. 0-12.
WEEK 14 AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Why they will win.
Pressure. For the first time in a long time, people expect the Bucs to be good. Last year, when the Bucs had a chance to make it to the playoffs, they caved and lost two of their last three games. Not sure this team has the mental makeup to win big games late in the season. 13-0.
Why they will lose.
Did you watch "Hard Knocks" this year? This offense is going to be scary, Mike Evans, for the first time in his career has a legit speed threat opening up the field for him in DeSean Jackson. Jameis Winston has plenty of options at his disposal to pick apart the Lions defense. And don’t sleep on the Bucs defense, Gerald McCoy might be the best player in the league no one talks about. 0-13.
WEEK 15 VS CHICAGO BEARS
Why they will win.
15 weeks in, and the Bears have realized Jordan Howard is the only good player on this team. On both sides of the ball. Sweep the leg, or in this case, sweep the Bears. 14-0.
Why they will lose.
The Bears have nothing to lose, and sometimes, that’s the most dangerous opponent. Trubisky proves to the world that the Bears made the right call drafting him number 2 overall. Besides, wouldn’t it be the most Lions thing ever to lose to the Bears at home this late in the season? 0-14.
WEEK 16 AT CINCINNATI BENGALS
Why they will win.
This is the year Marvin Lewis gets fired. There is no more saving his job with late season victories. He should have been gone a while ago, and the Lions get to hammer home one of the final nails. 15-0.
Why they will lose.
Paul Brown Stadium is not an easy place to play. It gets very loud in there, and on a late December afternoon, when the Lions are dreaming of the heated Ford Field, the Bengals fans - and players will jump all over them. Bob Quinn did say he liked Joe Mixon, he gets a front row view of how good he is. 0-15.
WEEK 17 VS GREEN BAY PACKERS
Why they will win.
Last year the Lions had a chance to prove to the rest of the league that they were a legit threat come playoff time with their week 17 showdown against the Packers at Ford Field on Sunday Night Football. They failed to do so last year. This year, Stafford proves worthy of the contract, out duels Aaron Rodgers in a shootout. 16-0.
Why they will lose.
Week 17, Aaron Rodgers, NFC North on the line. Who are you taking? 0-16.
There you go, 16 wins, or 16 losses; get ready for an unpredictable NFL season.
By the way, they’re probably going 8-8.