Arguably, the most underappreciated aspect of the 2024 Detroit Lions was their perfect 6-0 record against NFC North opponents.
The NFC North had a historic season with two 14-plus win teams, three teams making the playoffs, and an unbelievable 33-11 record against non-NFC North teams.
While GM Brad Holmes and Head Coach Dan Campbell did an exceptional job at plugging holes in the offseason, the other teams in the NFC North improved as well, making for an even tougher division in 2025. Here's how these improved division foes stack up to the Lions in 2025:
The Chicago Bears will be better than they were a year ago, but they're no Detroit Lions
The Bears were, by far, the most active team in the NFC North this offseason. Poaching former Lions Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson as their new head coach, GM Ryan Poles and the Bears front office attacked their problems head-on with big contracts.
Right out of the gate, the Bears traded for two $15 million offensive linemen in Joe Thuney and former Lion Jonah Jackson. Jackson, of course, is very familiar with Ben Johnson's offensive system, and Thuney is one of the most versatile offensive linemen in the game. Coming off a league-high 68 sacks last season for Caleb Williams, both of these moves make a ton of sense.
The Bears also signed two $14 million defensive linemen in the veteran Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo. The 31-year-old Jarrett is on the back end of his career, but can still do damage in the run game, recording 12.5 stuffs in 2024. Odeyingbo is a bit of a shocking contract when you look at the numbers, as he recorded just 31 tackles and three sacks in 17 games last season.
With an improved, versatile offensive line, a new playcaller, and already very talented weapons, this Bears offense should be much better in 2025, but the concerns are on the defensive end. The Lions put up 57 points on this Bears defense in 2024, and the additions of Odeyingbo and Jarrett do not seem significant enough to suggest that will change in 2025.
Although they may not rival the Lions in terms of overall talent on their roster, it is hard to imagine the Bears won't be significantly better in 2025 than their 5-win 2024 campaign.
Detroit should still have a leg up on the Packers
The Packers' offseason was one that raised many questions among fans. Losing more players than they gained, many fans wonder if the team is at risk of a worse finish than last season.
The losses for the Packers include the cornerback duo of Eric Stokes and Corey Ballentine, running back A.J. Dillon, defensive lineman T.J. Slaton, linebacker Eric Wilson, and center Josh Myers. While none of these players are huge names for casual fans, the losses of Stokes, Slaton, and Myers really hurt Green Bay.
As far as additions go, the Packers had two big signings. The first was guard Aaron Banks from San Francisco. Banks has been a solid piece for Kyle Shanahan's offensive line in recent years, playing at least 70% of snaps for each of the past three seasons, according to OverTheCap. The second was cornerback Nate Hobbs from the Raiders. Hobbs is entering his fifth NFL season and has recorded 19 pass deflections, three interceptions, and 281 tackles in his career.
Considering the losses weren't extremely severe, it is a bit of a stretch to say the Packers got significantly worse this offseason. However, it is hard to argue that they got better in any department, and the Lions, who are 6-2 vs Green Bay under Dan Campbell, should be in a good spot to continue that trend.
The Minnesota Vikings are somewhat of a wild card among NFC North foes
The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason. Due to the Aaron Rodgers rumors and question marks at QB, it is very hard to evaluate this Vikings team, which won 14 games a year ago.
According to Kevin Seifert from ESPN, the Vikings felt like they had to evaluate Aaron Rodgers, but they believe 2024 draft pick J.J. McCarthy is their guy. Aside from the questions at quarterback, the Vikings had a very productive offseason.
The Vikings had money to spend, and they were aggressive, bringing in a pair of $15 million interior defensive linemen in Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen. Hargrave missed most of last season with a torn triceps, but has made the Pro Bowl twice in his career. Allen also missed much of last season with a torn pectoral muscle, and the two-time Pro Bowler was released at the end of the year.
Minnesota had two significant losses in the offseason, losing safety Cam Bynum to the Colts and left tackle Cam Robinson to the Texans. Robinson was traded to the Vikings mid-season due to the injury to Christian Darrisaw in mid-October. The inevitable return of Darrisaw next season makes the loss of Robinson insignificant.
While the Lions did sweep the Vikings in 2024, it will most likely be a challenge to do the same in 2025. The Vikings' defense under Brian Flores was great in 2024, and the additions of Hargrave and Allen can take this team to the next level. We know what 2024 Coach of the Year, Kevin O'Connell, can do, but the outlook of this team relies on J.J. McCarthy, and in that case, I like the Lions to win at least one of the two matchups.