(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)AP. LOSS, Week 4 -- vs. Seattle Seahawks 1 p.m. Oct. 2 on Fox, Kyle: Drew Lock. Personally, I have been thinking big ever since we found out in January who the Lions home and away opponents would be for the upcoming season.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[580,400],'detroitsportsnation_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',874,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position!='undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-detroitsportsnation_com-medrectangle-3-0')}; I truly believe the Lions will be the most improved team in the NFL in terms of wins and losses during their 2022 campaign and they have a shot to go from worst to first in the NFL North if they can avoid the injury bug. Eligibility restrictions apply. That offense, though? Its 86 degrees in Michigan. That roster remains in a weird spot after the Urban Meyer debacle, and a handful of free-agent additions dont erase those concerns overnight. WIN, Week 14 -- vs. Minnesota Vikings 1 p.m. Dec. 11 on Fox, Kyle: Hate to break it to you LIons fans, but theres a lot to like about what Kevin OConnell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah are building in Minnesota. Mike McDaniel is the new coach, with all eyes on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. With Aaron Glenn leading the unit, the Detroit defense has the players needed to finish as a top 10 unit. WIN, Ben: It looks like its going to be another tough learning year for Justin Fields. Hes played some of the best ball of his career under coach Matt LaFleur. The Detroit Lions had a disappointing 2021 season on paper. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. WIN, Week 18 -- at Green Bay Packers TBD Jan. 7 or 8 on TBD, Kyle: I had the Lions with five wins at this point last year, which wound up two games over the mark. Furthermore, Detroit will also get back Jeff Okudah after he missed most of last year with a torn Achilles. Swift has always been one of the more underrated running backs in the NFL. Unsurprisingly, the Lions have long odds to win the NFC North or anything beyond that. Michael Brockers, Harris, and Okwara wont be the focal point for offenses. It looks like the rebuild under new coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles is fully on. There is so much to like about where the Lions are headed under his watch, but theyre not there yet -- not to win a game like this anyway. I think his fit in Detroit is going a little under the radar nationally. After finishing 13th among running backs in receptions as a rookie with 46, Swift finished fourth last year with 62 despite missing four games with an injury. Once the 2022 NFL schedule dropped, Caesars sportsbook provided odds and spreads for all of the Lions 2022 regular-season matchups.
While the Lions finished 2021 below every other NFC team in the standings, the team looked competitive more frequently than their record suggests. WIN, Ben: The Seahawks seem to be stuck between contending for the playoffs and rebuilding. Also, Jared Geoff will to great. Hutchinson is also entering a crowded room full of EDGE talent. They had a critical win over the playoff-bound Arizona Cardinals in Week 15 and outscored by only one point during that span.
Of course, it was also one of his only wins. "Behind a steady offensive line that returns all five of its primary starters, Goff should have time to pick apart defenses with Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson, Williams, Chark, wideout Josh Reynolds and running back D'Andre Swift, who could see plenty of targets out of the backfield," Moton writes. These should be some hotly-contested games. But hes still Aaron Rodgers. Thats a well-coached team, but Im banking on Detroits offensive line to keep things steady. Please play responsibly. Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA/MI/NH/NJ/NY/ONT/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only.
No way they trade Chark. The Action Network recently posted about how the NFL ticket price has increased over the past 15 years. 
With Williams and DJ Chark now providing downfield speed around Amon-Ra St. Brown, we should see more balance in the passing attack. With his length and speed in an offense that has offensive firepower all over the place, he could feast. Goff completed 67.2% of his passes but ranked 27th in yards per attempt. All rights reserved (About Us). The move was designed to give Chark a chance to rebuild his value and hit the free agent market again in 2023 after he missed most of last season with an ankle injury. Detroit was one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season. Furthermore, Jamaal Williams will see his role decrease this season. The Jets also re-signed receiver Braxton Berrios. While the unit finished the year ranked 29th in DVOA, the weighted version of the metric that emphasizes more recent performances ranked the group 16th in the NFL. Would Jared Goff get $40 million if he leads the Lions to the Playoffs? LOSS (Final record: 9-8), Ben: For what feels like the 100th time in 101 years, the Lions close the season with the Packers. This post will run through our way-too-early game-by-game predictions from MLive Detroit Lions beat writers Kyle Meinke and Benjamin Raven: Week 1 -- vs. Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m. Sept. 11 on Fox, Kyle: Jared Goff was so bad against Philadelphia last season that he was benched late in the fourth quarter of a 44-6 loss. As probably the most established pass catcher on this roster, Hockenson was seen as a bit of a reach when he was selected eighth overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. As things stand, its between Drew Lock and Geno Smith to replace Russel Wilson at quarterback. That should change, now that the new regime has had two player acquisition cycles to turn over the roster. Theyre one year away from being one year away. With high draft picks making this roster look exciting once more, the Lions 2022 season may be another step in the right direction for a franchise long mired in below-average records. When protected, Goff is an accurate downfield passer. Those 2 will dominate together. Rams star Jalen Ramsey drops a bomb on whos on Drakes new album, WATCH: Paolo Banchero utterly cooks Donovan Mitchell in heated pick-up game, 3 best destinations for Odell Beckham Jr as 2022 NFL training camp gets underway, Ex-Raiders RB Bo Jackson speaks out after being revealed as anonymous donor for Uvalde shooting, Metta Sandiford-Artests BOLD prediction for LeBron James, Lakers in 2022-23, Warriors veteran Draymond Green slams LeBron James haters after epic Drew League appearance, WWE 2K22 Roster: All the revealed and confirmed WWE Superstars so far, WWE 2K22 Locker Codes Check out the latest WWE 2K22 Locker Codes here, WWE 2K22 DLC Wrestlers Revealed All WWE 2K22 DLC Wrestlers. Quarterback Josh Allen is an electric playmaker. Dalvin Cook just notched his third consecutive season of topping at least 1,100 rushing yards. Lets take a look at the most intriguing 2022 Lions odds and props below. The main reason why Chark will get traded before the deadline is Williams. After making several excellent moves this offseason, could the Lions sneak into the playoffs for the first time since 2016? Im around this team every day, and Im here to tell you it has been a very long time since things felt this good around Allen Park. The best way for Detroit to tackle their lacking roster is by adding pieces in the right places, and so far it looks like they have done just that. While he likely will not reach Robert Porchers 1999 franchise record of 15 sacks in one season, Hutchinson has the ability to produce double-digit sacks in his rookie year, which would all but guarantee he wins the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Still, that figure seems just a tad too high to take the over. When will Yordan Alvarez return to Astros lineup this season? 1. 
Dotson and Terry McLaurin are a versatile receiver duo that should give opponents fits. The optimism is contagious. Williams is recovering from a torn ACL in January, and Detroit has no incentive to force him back into action prior to October. - Powered By PickUp, Heller: Integrity Should be Unanimous and Consistent Across Sports, Buccaneers showing improvement on defense and in the running game, Splashs NFL Top 100 (2022): Honorable Mentions. Hell also enter a receiving room that has two talented threats in St. Brown and Chark. Young was a better player than Hutchinson and still barely eclipsed the 7-sack mark. He can take the top off a defense or burn them after the catch. With Kenny Golladay and Saquon Barkley both healthy, New York could have a chance to be better than people expect. However, the Lions also re-signed Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds this offseason. Brandon Pettigrew currently holds the franchise record for most receiving yards by a TE in a season (777) back in 2011, and if things continue to look up for Hockenson, he should shatter that mark this year on his way to his first career 1,000-yard season. Now, this depth chart is at least five deep with playable ends, so Hutchinson wont just have the lions share of snaps to himself. Cleveland is bringing in the backup quarterback as depth. If he plays all 17 games, hell hit the over in his passing yards even if he continues to throw for just 231.8 yards per game as he did last season. WIN, Ben: Washingtons defense looks potentially pretty scary in the trenches. Washington traded for quarterback Carson Wentz, then drafted Penn State wideout Jahan Dotson at Pick 16. 
Plenty will go right for the Lions as a franchise in 2022. Quarterback Jared Goff will lead an offense needing to become more potent. But now, the order of the 2022 NFL schedule is officially set. Join our Facebook Group:Prime Time Sports Talk The official channel of Detroit Sports Nation - Giving the fans a voice since 2010. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'Uslr2Tf5THVEscZE0VLLIw',sig:'lx7ruLiKKdhm1bnEbhxwq05RK44S33N1sVCHD_Za0Jk=',w:'594px',h:'393px',items:'51377809',caption:false,tld:'com',is360:false})}); Here are my way-too-early game-by-game predictions for the Lions. Rodgers hasnt shown any signs of slipping, though. And while the defense adds a potential top-end pass rusher with Aidan Hutchinson, expecting a rookie to lift an entire group seems like an overreach. The linebackers are a huge concern on the other side of the ball, but the new pass rushers -- led by Aidan Hutchinson -- should help. Dont be surprised if Williams is cut or traded before the start of the season. Buffalos roster is stout from top to bottom on both sides of the ball.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson will also benefit from the new speedy options around him. I had the Lions at 4-13 one year ago, so this would be an impressive improvement. The rest of Detroits schedule looks favorable too, with matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and Carolina Panthers all coming within a few weeks of each other. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. But in the finale, they got no chance if theres anything on the line for Aaron Rodgers. LOSS, Week 8 -- vs. Miami Dolphins 1 p.m. Oct. 30 on CBS, Kyle: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are scary good. Their biggest addition to the unit, first-round wideout Jameson Williams, tore his ACL in January and his return date remains unclear. LOSS, Week 7 -- at Dallas Cowboys 1 p.m. Oct. 23 on CBS, Kyle: Dan Campbell grew up on a cattle ranch in Texas. I dont think hes going to have much problem working over a Lions defense that still has major question marks at linebacker and youth all over the field, especially on a short week. The wins will not come easily, but their schedule has favorable stretches. Lets take a look at the latest DraftKings Sportsbook lines and predict if the Lions can surpass their 2022 win total of 6.5. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Another player who will produce if hes on the field more in 2022, he wont have to deal with double-teams as often because of the threats drawing attention away from the middle of the field. The Eagles made the playoffs last season and could take another step if quarterback Jalen Hurts shows growth in his second season as a starter. WIN, Ben: This is one of the more difficult games to predict. Over 1,500 yards and 10+ TDs may seem to be a bit much for Swift, especially with his best season having been his sophomore campaign of 1,000+ yards and 7 total TDs. Being able to play in the same state as where you attended college is a rarity in professional sports nowadays, but Hutchinson earned that opportunity when he was selected 2nd overall in the most-recent NFL Draft. Detroits defense held their opponents under 21 points in five of the final nine games. It remains really hard to imagine that offense doing much of anything. We go over how you can watch F1 practice runs for the French Grand Prix in Le Castellet via live online stream. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Will Jameson Williams have 1,000 yards as a rookie? Minnesota will likely be more of what theyve been in recent years with Kirk Cousins still running the show. They used the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft on Aidan Hutchinson and their second-round pick on Joshua Paschal. Building a team up through the trenches is a great approach to get back on the right track, and Hutchinson is a perfect player to complement last years 1st rounder, OL Penei Sewell. Even if he only plays in 12 games as a rookie, Williams will finish the year with over 1,000 receiving yards. They have winnable games against the Bears twice, Giants, Jets, Jaguars, and Panthers starting Week 10. WIN, Ben: Its a tough draw to open the year, even with three of the first four games at Ford Field. But its not happening right now. He also missed three games with a bone bruise in his knee, so projecting for a full 17 games will change what his season totals look like. LOSS, Week 2 -- vs. Washington Commanders 1 p.m. Sept. 18 on Fox, Kyle: Martin Mayhew at Ford Field is rarely a winning combination.
This staff has a number of key young players to develop, and playing Williams or Hutchinson 100% of the snaps simply cant happen. If the season plays out to those predictions, the Lions will finish with a 3-14 record following Week 18 of the 2022 season. LOSS, Ben: Aaron Rodgers might not have Davante Adams anymore. The Lions have not had a winning season since 2017, but writer Maurice Moton still has faith in the rebuilding Lions. WIN, Week 15 -- at New York Jets 1 p.m. Dec. 18 on Fox, Kyle: I loved Robert Saleh as a head-coaching candidate. And that could be especially true when he faces his old team this week. That group could be disruptive as heck if its young linebackers improve. FIFA 23 Release Date: When is FIFA 23 Coming Out? Daniel Jones remains the top quarterback, but his future is in doubt. It starts to get better. Especially against a Lions pass rush that has been totally revamped in the last two years. It appears Detroit ranks 20th out of 32 NFL teams in ticket price inflation. With other options now added around him, less of a burden will be placed on Hockensons shoulders, but that should actually open up even more opportunities for him this season. At the same time, they finished the previous season on an upswing and play in a division that, outside of the Packers, offers plenty of opportunities for wins. Every day, get free NFL updates sent straight to your inbox! 2020 Copyright Prime Time Sports Talk. In an effort to produce young stars, the Lions have revamped their roster through shrewd free agency signings and a few explosive rookies. And that should pair well with the evolution of its roster. That leaves new coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen in a weird spot. Fading Hutchinsons props is riskier, but he will be in a rotation and lacks a force who can draw attention away from him. This one should be much closer this time around, though. But hes played only 10 games in two seasons after putting that offense on his back. Here is a look at other Lions news making its way around the internet on Wednesday. Hard to imagine Carson Wentz helping much either. LOSS, Week 10 -- at Chicago Bears 1 pm. When Prescott is healthy, hes one of the best in the game. Some thing to remember on the rookie props is the competition at each position.
Surely the playoffs are unlikely, but can they make some noise? Betting against a pissed-off Aaron Rodgers is dumb business. LOSS, Ben: The Lions should be able to swing a series split with the Vikings. WIN, Week 16 -- at Carolina Panthers 1 p.m. Dec. 24 (Saturday) on Fox, Kyle: The Lions are 8-2 when they play on Saturday over the last 40-plus years.
Saints place Michael Thomas on PUP list to start training camp, Sneaker Release Schedule: Top drops for the month of July. Walker and rookie Matt Corral do little to appease concerns with the teams quarterback situation. Make sure to check out all ofour other NFL Bold Predictions. Christian McCaffrey is a special playmaker. 2. LOSS, Week 9 -- vs. Green Bay Packers 1 p.m. Nov. 6 on Fox, Kyle: Betting against Aaron Rodgers is bad business.
WIN, Week 12 (Thanksgiving) -- vs. Buffalo Bills 12:30 p.m. on CBS, Kyle: The last time we saw Josh Allen, he nearly knocked off Patrick Mahomes in one of the great games you will ever see in this league. Lots of people like Miamis splashy offseason, but heres betting the pieces will never fit together with that quarterback. Now the roster is in much better shape, with DJ Chark and Jameson Williams aboard to stretch the field. Twitter:@PTSTNewsand@TalkPrimeTime Flash forward three seasons, and the former Iowa Hawkeye has ascended into the focal point of this teams passing attack. All Rights Reserved. Rookies Aidan Hutchinson, Williams, Josh Paschal, and Kerby Joseph will work to prove theyre each foundational blocks for the Lions in 2022. The Lions have enough firepower to tread water this year, and if enough breaks go their way -- none bigger than the development of Jeff Okudah -- they could push for a wild-card spot out of an NFC North that has been turned upside down by regime changes in Chicago and Minnesota. While the Lions will be fun, it may be too soon to expect their recent investments to pay off with wins. Allen Robinson is gone. Really? Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Thats not changing. 
"The Lions can win high-scoring matchups and beat their opponents in the trenches, which makes them a dangerous sleeper team in 2022.