Detroit Lions: What’s overrated/underrated heading into 2020?

Divisional Foes

Overrated: Green Bay

In 2019, the Packers put together about the flukiest 13-3 record that you’re likely to see in the NFL. Maybe you can say that’s sour grapes on my part, considering their season sweep over the Lions despite not holding the lead for a single play in either game. What’s not sour grapes though, is the fact that the defending NFC North champs didn’t seem to do a thing to improve their offense during the offseason.

The Pack have a first ballot Hall of Famer still near his prime, yet used their first round pick to take another quarterback rather than bolstering a weak receiving corps. They must be thinking long-term, but could regret banking solely on Aaron Rodgers’s talents (I guess I also have to shout out Aaron Jones in this) rather than diversifying the offense.

That redundant draft pick looks worse considering that Devin Funchess opted out of the season, thinning out the receivers even more. Maybe that gamble will pay off, but this year has all the ingredients for a serious regression to the mean and internal dysfunction for the Cheeseheads.

Underrated: Kirk Cousins

With four straight wins over Detroit, including QB ratings of 141, 138, and 111, Cousins has quietly joined Rodgers as that inter-divisional quarterback that you hate to match up against. In his career, Cousins is 4-1 against the Lions (a classic Stafford moment making the difference in that fifth game), with ten touchdown passes against a single interception.

I’m not a Kirk Cousins fan and never have been, but I can call something for what it is: Cousins has feasted on the Lions defense for the past two years. Cousins and the Vikings are slated to visit Ford Field on the final day of the season this year.