Last season, the Detroit Lions didn't inspire much confidence as they went 9-8, and missed the playoffs. A big reason this was the case was their inability to win head-to-head in their division.
From 2022 to 2024, the Lions racked up an impressive 15-3 record against their NFC North foes. They rode that magic to a pair of divison titles and a pair of playoff births. Last season, that magic died in a big way, with Detroit going 2-4 and losing out on the postseason despite a winning record.
Entering this season, though, that's expected to change in a big way. The Lions have one of the easier schedules in the league, and as a result of that and some improvements to their roster, they are expected to bounce back in a major way.
The Lions are expected to be the best team in the NFC North this year, and that bears itself out in some early power rankings just ahead of the 2026 season. Pro Football Focus analyst Bradley Locker put together a list, and Detroit placed No. 10. That was ahead of the Green Bay Packers (No. 13), the Chicago Bears (No. 15) and the Minnesota Vikings (No. 17).
Additionally, the analysis gives the Lions a 67% chance to make the postseason. As Locker wrote in the piece, that is mostly due to their high-powered offense and a schedule which allows them for some benefits over their NFC competition.
"The Lions were one of the more disappointing teams last season, missing the playoffs outright after being besieged by defensive injury. Detroit will still feel the effects of the injury bug early in the season — missing players like Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph and Cade Mays — but the team returns a high-flight offense under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Detroit owning the third-easiest schedule per PFF’s model is another reason to buy into the Lions looking more like the force we’ve seen in recent seasons."
In spite of this, PFF only gives the Lions a 5% chance to make the Super Bowl, so just because they might be the best team in their division might not mean much for their hopes for something greater. Naturally, other NFC teams such as the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles have slightly better Super Bowl odds at this point in time.
NFC North seems wide open for Lions to win during 2026 season
Even though the Lions struggled last season, there's a reason to think they can get back to measuring up head-to-head in the division. Last season, the Bears and Packers were the class of the division, but neither team was far and away better than the average Lions.
Detroit swept the Bears and looks geared to have another fantastic season offensively alongside Chicago. Green Bay ambushed the Lions in the season opener and won another contentious game on Thanksgiving Day, but by the end of the year, looked far more pedestrian.
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Perhaps shockingly, the Lions struggled most against the Vikings, who finished with the same record as them by the end of the season. With Minnesota looking like a team in-flux, the Lions will have to prove they can once again outwit the Vikings, but the opportunity should be there to achieve that result.
All the Lions can worry about is winning their division and measuring up head-to-head against their closest competition. After that, everything else will take care of itself when the postseason comes. For right now, they look like the class of the NFC North before games kick off.
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