Which Detroit team will be next to win a championship?
By Zac Snyder
Detroit Lions
Case for: As odd as it might sound, the team furthest removed from their last championship might just be the team closest to their next. It has been easy to get some jollies at the Lions’ expense for quite a while, but they look to be the most stable of the four major teams in Detroit.
For the first time in recent memory, the Lions have people in place in the front office and on the coaching staff that some other NFL teams would want. It remains to be seen if the duo of Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia can lead the Lions to their first Super Bowl but at least it’s a duo some other teams can be envious of. That’s no small thing given the Lions history.
Obviously that kind of basic level of competence is a far cry from being able to bring home the city’s next championship but it provides a foundation. Add in the fact that the Lions are settled at quarterback and the Lions can really get about the business of trying to form a championship unit.
Bob Quinn has shown an ability to take on a deficiency and attack it through both the draft and free agency. Hopefully we start seeing a return on the investment he’s made in the offensive line in a big way starting in 2018. If so, the offense could be ready to join the very best in the league while new head coach Matt Patricia works to bring a new identity to the defense.
There is never a guarantee that any of this leads to a championship but for the first time in a long time, Lions fans wouldn’t be crazy to think that it could.
Case against: If we’re going to give the Red Wings credit based on their track record, we have to ding the Lions for theirs. Sure, some things might feel different since the passing of William Clay Ford but the Ford family remains in control of the franchise. Until that changes, expect to hear plenty of calls of “same old Lions” at every perceived misstep along the way.
It feel like the Lions are really building something but the franchise has been in similar positions before. The early-90s Lions were once mentioned alongside the Dallas Cowboys as a potential team of the future. Obviously one of those panned out while the other fizzled. The Millen-era may have made many forget but we’ve seen nine- and ten-win seasons and playoff berths before. The Lions are finally back to that point but it’s the next step that has been elusive.
Until the Lions can get over the hump of the Packers and Vikings, they can’t get to the point where they are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. If that doesn’t happen while they have the best quarterback in franchise history under center, when will it?
Next: Pistons?