The Detroit Lions figure to have one of the best offenses in the NFL this season, but deciding where they rank against their competition could be difficult.
With so many talented teams in the league, the Lions will have to continually distinguish themselves to be amongst the best this year, but based on the past, there's good reason to think that will be the case in 2026.
Even with a suspect offensive line and a change at coordinator, the Lions were the NFL's second-best offense in 2025. That leads to hope that they are once again set to be dangerous. NFL.com analyst Dan Parr recently projected the top offenses in the league, and to nobody's surprise, the Lions were rated very well for all they offer.
"It’s pretty simple. If the new-look offensive line keeps Jared Goff well protected, the offense should have no trouble finishing among the elite. Detroit has ranked among the top five teams in offensive points per game for four straight seasons, the longest such active streak in the NFL and one that survived a midseason change at play-caller last year. To keep the run alive, it will take a successful transition from right to left tackle for Penei Sewell, solid play from rookie RT Blake Miller and an at least passable showing from the interior while starting C Cade Mays is out with a wrist injury."
"There is more uncertainty up front than we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from this unit, but it certainly helps to have elite weaponry in the form of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs. A healthy year from TE Sam LaPorta would kick things up a notch, too, although he missed time in August with a hip issue after a back injury cratered his 2025 campaign."
"If it all comes together under new OC Drew Petzing, the Lions could easily end up leading the league in OPPG, and the schedule looks very favorable, with Detroit facing only one top-10 scoring defense from last season in the first nine weeks."
There's enough weaponry for the Lions to project as the best offense in the league for this season. If the offensive line comes around, that could be a reason for major optimism. Oddly enough, however, the Lions were ranked No. 4 in Parr's ranking, while the rival Chicago Bears were just ahead of them in the No. 3 position.
There's little reason to suggest Bears should be ranked ahead of Lions
It's hard to think that a team which has had the success of the Lions the past handful of seasons would be underrated, but it seems to be the case. It's one thing to place teams like the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills around Detroit in rankings, but the Lions were better than the Bears last season in terms of both total yards and total points.
In spite of that, Parr still thinks Chicago has the better trajectory this season, and believes Caleb Williams is a potential MVP in the making while the Bears have plenty of weapons and ability to be at the top of the league.
READ MORE: Dan Campbell's comments on Lions' RB2 just further confirms Jahmyr Gibbs' role
"I’m fully investing in the Bears’ growth from within by placing them so high on my list. Obviously, I’m expecting a major jump for Caleb Williams in Year 3 (I picked him to win MVP, after all). He’s already flashed the talent to reach the NFL apex, and he has one of the league’s better offensive lines blocking for him."
More than anything, it seems to be blind faith leading him to this decision. It's important to remember that against the Lions in 2025, the Bears were 0-2. Detroit outscored them 71-37 in both games combined. If the Bears were so explosive last year, they didn't show it head-to-head against the team that knew Ben Johnson the best.
2026 is a new year, of course, but the Lions may have only improved their offensive line, while it's possible Chicago's overall magic has dwindled a bit. If the Bears offense is figured out around the league, it might be hard for them to recapture the same kind of magic that had them as a No. 6 total offense last year.
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