2019 Detroit Lions: Are great expectations reasonable?

This Sunday the Detroit Lions will open their season against the Cardinals in the Arizona desert. Should we have great expectations?

The 2019 season is here for the Detroit Lions and the rest of the NFL. And unlike the preseason it’s real, meaningful football. As a matter of fact, NFC North rivals the Green Bay Packers will travel to Chicago to battle the Bears in tonight’s season opener.

By tomorrow morning the Lions will already be above one of them in the divisional standings.

But despite that start, what will the Lions do to help themselves? Just about every national pundit is picking the Lions to crash and burn and once again finish in last place. Some even seem to think they will sink to even deeper depths than the Titanic.

Yet if we look at what general manager Bob Quinn accomplished over the offseason, these Lions are unquestionably more talented and deeper than last years version. And if that is truly the case shouldn’t they be improved?

Unfortunately, every season is its own entity. Sometimes a team isn’t that good, but due to the circumstances of the season, they end up having a better year than their talent level. Other times a good team is rising or peaking during a season filled with other good teams and they end up having a disappointing record, but again, they became a victim of the circumstances of that particular season.

Bob Quinn was able to turn the tight end position from an incredible weakness into what appears to be a strength. The defensive line perked up last year after the acquisition of Damon ‘Snacks’ Harrison but now looks like one of the best units in the NFL after the offseason additions. And the improvements didn’t stop there.

So while it certainly seems like these Lions are in a position to improve or build upon last years beginning, will they be able too?