The Detroit Lions so far this season have not been able to catch a break. Detroit has started out the 2021 season 0-6, which is their worst start in a little while. They have dropped games against the 49ers 41-33, the Packers 35-17, the Ravens 19-17, the Bears 24-14, the Vikings 19-17, and the Bengals 34-11. Detroit has also lost on two game winning 50+ yard field goals, a 66 yard NFL record field goal by Ravens kicker Justin Tucker and a 54 yard field made by Vikings kicker Greg Joseph. However, even with all the losses the Lions have been fighting in almost every single game and have lead or almost comeback at many times. Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to finish these games or even put together a full game. Now, I would like to discuss the remaining games left on Detroit’s schedule and see how high their chance is to win that game.

Week 7: Los Angeles Rams

 This game will be a big one for Detroit because it will be the Lions first ever game in brand new S0Fi Stadium, which is the site of Super Bowl 56. This matchup is also huge because it is obviously Matthew Stafford’s first game against his old team that he spent around 12 years with. The Rams in 2020 were pretty good, making it to the divisional round of the playoffs in the NFC, but lost to the Packers 32-18. Their big issue was the inconsistent play from then QB Jared Goff. This led the Rams to move on from Goff, sending him to Detroit in exchange for Stafford. With this addition, Los Angeles and Matthew Stafford have been experiencing a lot of success, boasting a 5-1 record. They have defeated pretty good teams, with a Week 1 victory over the Bears 34-14 and a Week 2 victory over the Colts 27-24. In Week 3, they earned their best win of the season, beating the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-24, behind a great 27-38, 343 yard, and 4 touchdown performance from Matthew Stafford. The next week however, the Rams had a nasty game against the Arizona Cardinals, losing 37-20. Los Angeles with this loss improved however, and ended up beating the Seattle Seahawks 26-17 on TNF in Seattle.  They started off rough, but a good second half from Matthew Stafford allowed them to win. Finally, following this win, the Rams destroyed the New York Giants 38-11 at MetLife Stadium. I believe the Rams will win pretty comfortably because they are the much better team. I also believe Los Angeles will dominate the Lions offense and their defense will hold the Lions and force turnovers from Jared Goff at many points during this game.

 Week 8: Philadelphia Eagles

 This is probably one of the best remaining games that the Lions can win. The Eagles have not been bad this season, but they haven’t been a super good team either. This game should be a fun one because this game is on Halloween day! The Eagles also have a 2-4 record, which is better than most people expected after last season. Philadelphia in 2020 were very disappointing. Their supposed franchise QB Carson Wentz had a horrible season, which led to the Eagles trading Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts. They also fired head coach Doug Pederson, the only head coach is Philly history who won a Super Bowl for the city. By losing these pieces, the Eagles had to hire a new head coach in Nick Sirianni and roll with second year QB Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia through 5 games have beaten the Falcons in Week 1, 32-6 and the Panthers in Week 5 21-18, who were 3-0 through the first three weeks. They have lost to the 49ers in Week 2, 17-11, got demolished by Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, 41-21 on Monday Night Football, lost in Week 4 to the Kansas City Chiefs 42-30, and couldn’t pull out a victory on Thursday Night Football in Week 6 against the Buccaneers, losing 28-22. In my opinion, I think the Lions will make this game a close one, but it will be a challenge containing QB Jalen Hurts and his running ability. Also, if the Lions offense gets going, Detroit with good defense as well might be able to outscore the Eagles and win.

Week 9: Bye Week

 Nothing much to say when it comes to the bye week. Hopefully, the Lions will be able to regroup and at least prepare for the second half of their schedule. I also hope Detroit can stay mostly healthy the rest of the way because many key injuries have already happened to tackle Taylor Decker, WR Quintez Cephus, C Frank Ragnow, WR Tyrell Williams, LB Romeo Okwara, and CB Jeff Okudah.

Week 10: Pittsburgh Steelers

 I could see the Lions standing an alright chance against the Steelers, but Pittsburgh looks improved compared to early on this season. In 2020, Pittsburgh got off to a fantastic start, earning an 11-0 record after QB Ben Roethlisberger’s horrible injury in 2019. After that, the Steelers completely collapsed, losing 4 of their last 5 games to end the season against Washington, Buffalo, Cincinnati, and Cleveland. They then promptly got bounced in the Wild Card Round against the Cleveland Browns, who got their first playoff win since 1995, by dominating Pittsburgh from the start in a 48-37 victory. Pittsburgh in the offseason lost many parts of their offensive line due to free agent signings and retirement. In Week 1, after a down first half, Pittsburgh was able to defeat the incredible Buffalo Bills 23-16. This was a big surprise because the Bills have beaten the Steelers the past two seasons, but the defense for Pittsburgh decided the final outcome. The next weeks however, the Steelers had a rough time, losing in Week 2 to the Las Vegas Raiders 26-17,  in Week 3 against the Bengals 24-10, and in Week 4 versus the Packers 27-17. After the spiral, Pittsburgh got back on track, beating the Broncos 27-19. Finally, in Week 6, the Steelers entered a SNF matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, who were without starting QB Russell Wilson. Thus, Seattle had to start backup Geno Smith, who almost led the team to a comeback the previous week. Pittsburgh dominated in the first half, but allowed the Seahawks to get back in the game after halftime, which led to a 20-20 score going into OT. The Steelers were able to come up big, with a huge forced fumble by LB TJ Watt on Seahawks QB Geno Smith. This led to Pittsburgh winning the game 23-20, with kicker Chris Boswell hitting a 37 yard field goal. The Steelers because of this have a 3-3 record heading into their bye week. I believe Detroit will probably lose this game because TJ Watt and the Pittsburgh defense will be too much for the Lions offense, even if the Steelers struggle on offense as well.

Week 11: Cleveland Browns

 The Lions probably won’t stand a chance in this game. The Browns are a contender to win the Super Bowl, but they do have a few injuries. These injuries are to WR Jarvis Landry, RB Nick Chubb, and QB Baker Mayfield. I would say that these injuries along with the opponents they have faced so far this season contribute to the 3-3 record they own. In 2020, the Browns took a huge step forward after a very disappointing 2019 season. Led behind new HC Kevin Stefanski and improved play from QB Baker Mayfield, the Browns were able to clinch a playoff spot as the #6 seed. They then took this opportunity and beat the previously mentioned Steelers 48-37. In the divisional round, Cleveland almost beat the Chiefs, but a big run by backup QB Chad Henne and pass to WR Tyreek Hill sent the Browns packing with a 22-17 defeat. In 2021, Cleveland now with expectations looked to continue their winning ways. In Week 1, they once again played a good game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead, but a great second half from Mahomes and the offense as well as a Baker Mayfield interception at the very end of the game led to the Browns losing 33-29. The next few weeks, Cleveland defeated the Texans 31-21, the Bears 26-6, and the Vikings 14-7. Unfortunately for Cleveland, the past two games haven’t gone as well for them, losing to the Chargers 47-42 and the Cardinals 37-14. Even with all the injuries, I have a pretty good feeling that the Browns will win this game because they have a way better defense led by DE Myles Garrett and have more weapons at the receiver position compared to the Lions.

Week 12: Chicago Bears

 Once again, the Detroit Lions will play a familiar division foe on Thanksgiving Day, the Chicago Bears. Previously this season in Week 4, the Bears and the Lions played each other in Soldier Field, which is a game the Bears won 24-14. they won behind a great day from rookie QB Justin Fields out of Ohio State and RB David Montgomery. In 2020, Chicago had a very weird season. They actually got off to a pretty great start, starting out 5-1 by beating the Lions, Giants, Falcons, Buccaneers, and Panthers. They also had two big comeback wins against the previously mentioned Detroit Lions in Week 1 and the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. However, a quarterback controversy between 2017 #2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky and Super Bowl 52 MVP Nick Foles led the Bears to struggle for the rest of the season. They had a 6 game losing streak, but wins against the Texans, Vikings, and Jaguars, as well as luck from the Arizona Cardinals losing to the Rams in the last week of the season, had Chicago in the playoffs as the #7 seed. They promptly were defeated in New Orleans by the Saints 21-9 and were eliminated. In the offseason, they picked up QB Andy Dalton and traded QB Mitch Trubisky to the Buffalo Bills. In 2021, the Bears are 3-3, with wins against the Bengals, Lions, and Raiders. They have also lost to the Rams, Browns, and Packers. Chicago has been good, but I believe the Lions could beat them. I think this because the Bears aren’t one of the teams with a super explosive offense, so if the Detroit defense can hold Justin Fields, they might be able to win. Also, currently Chicago doesn’t have RB David Montgomery due to an injury, so if the Bears don’t have him for this game they could struggle.

Week 13: Minnesota Vikings

 The Minnesota Vikings could and probably will be a huge challenge for the Lions to deal with. I feel this way because the Vikings have an incredible offense, with QB Kirk Cousins, WR Justin Jefferson, WR Adam Thielen, and RB Dalvin Cook. They got to this point through a great 2020 draft pick, taking Justin Jefferson with the 22nd overall pick. Jefferson on the Vikings has been nothing short of fantastic, breaking many records for a rookie wide receiver last season. In the 2020 season, the Vikings started out very rough, owning a 1-5 record through 6 weeks. After their bye week however in Week 7, the Vikings got going, but ended up finishing the season with a 7-9 record and missing the playoffs. In 2021, Minnesota had another rough start when they lost to the Bengals and Cardinals in Weeks 1 and 2. After this, the Vikings beat the Seahawks, lost to the Browns, and beat the Lions in Minneapolis 19-17 off of a 54 yard game winning field goal from kicker Greg Joseph. The following week, they let the Panthers force overtime, but QB Kirk Cousins was able to throw a great pass to WR K.J. Osborn for a game winning touchdown. Their record is currently 3-3, with the offense really carrying this team once again. I don’t think the Lions will win this game because the Vikings offense will probably be too much for the defense. Plus, the Vikings will most likely have RB Dalvin Cook back for this game after he didn’t play in the Week 5 game versus Detroit.

Week 14: Denver Broncos

 I personally would give the Lions a fair shot in this matchup. The Broncos coming in to the season were seen as the worst team in the AFC West. They were seen this way because in the 2020 season, they finished with a record of 5-11, which is disappointing for many people because many thought the Broncos could fix their losing ways with second year QB Drew Lock. Unfortunately, Denver was ravaged by injuries, especially when great linebacker Von Miller went down with an injury in the offseason and missed the entire season. In the leadup to the 2021 season, the Broncos brought QB Teddy Bridgewater in for competition with Drew Lock to see who would become the starting quarterback. Eventually, Teddy Bridgewater won the job and started Week 1 against the Giants. Denver would go on to win this game 27-13 and beat the Jaguars 23-13 and the Jets 26-0 to start out the 2021 season undefeated at 3-0. However, an injury to QB Teddy Bridgewater allowed Drew Lock to start in Week 4 against the Ravens, which is a game they lost 23-7. Bridgewater would return the next week, but Denver lost their next two games to the Steelers 27-19 and the Raiders 34-24. This means the Broncos are now 3-3 and are probably one of the biggest frauds early on this season. Even though this game is in Denver, I believe Detroit can win this game because the team might have more chemistry later on in the season and the Broncos offense isn’t the best.

Week 15: Arizona Cardinals

 The Lions will most definitely lose this one. The Arizona Cardinals are currently the best team in the NFL through 6 weeks, boasting a 6-0 record. This is a little unexpected, but not super surprising because of last season. In 2020, Arizona showed a lot of growth compared to the 2019 season, starting out 2020 with a 5-2 start before their bye week in Week 8. However, the Cardinals experienced a collapse in the second half of their schedule, losing 6 out of their 9 remaining games and finishing with an 8-8 record. Even with this collapse, the Cardinals could have still made the playoffs if they beat the Rams in Week 17. The Rams were dealing with an injury to former QB Jared Goff, but the Cardinals also had a problem at the quarterback position, with QB Kyler Murray trying to fight an injury as well. Arizona would go on to lose this game 18-7, and miss the postseason. During the offseason, the Cardinals had some big editions by getting WR A.J. Green and DE J.J. Watt. In Week 1, Arizona cruised to a 38-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans, while limiting Titans RB Derrick Henry to 58 yards on the ground. The next week, they almost lost a close one to the Minnesota Vikings, but a missed 37 yard field goal from Vikings kicker Greg Joseph allowed the Cardinals to take the game. Ever since then, Arizona has continued to win with victories over the Jaguars 31-19, the Rams 37-20, the 49ers 17-10, and the Browns 37-14. The Cardinals will probably run away with this game in Ford Field because their offense led by potential MVP Kyler Murray and amazing WR Deandre Hopkins will be too much for Detroit’s defense.  Also, the Lions offense probably won’t be able to keep up with Arizona’s offense.

Week 16: Atlanta Falcons

 In my opinion, this matchup is another winnable game for the Lions. Atlanta has not been one of the better teams in recent years, one example being a record of 2-3 in 2021. The Falcons in 2020 were pretty terrible because their defense couldn’t stop anyone. Atlanta started out the season 0-5, losing two games because of blown leads. One of these games was against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. The teams traded scores, but the Falcons looked like they had the game in the bag, until Dallas converted on an onside kick to set up a game winning 46 yard field goal, which their kicker Greg Zuerlein made and shocked Atlanta with a 40-39 final score. Another one of these games was a matchup versus the Chicago Bears in Week 3. The Falcons were once again in control of the game, but a great performance from backup QB Nick Foles who replaced QB Mitch Trubisky, doomed Atlanta in a 30-26 defeat. The Falcons finished with a 4-12 record and selected TE Kyle Pitts out of Florida with the #4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. This leads them to the 2021 season, which hasn’t been an amazing season so far, but their record is way better than last year. Atlanta has wins in Week 3 against the Giants 17-14 and in Week 5 versus the Jets 27-20. They have lost to the Eagles 32-6, the Buccaneers 48-25, and Washington 34-30. If the Detroit Lions can out score the Falcons offense, I think they can win this game, but that will be a challenge because QB Matt Ryan has WR Calvin Ridley and rookie TE Kyle Pitts to throw to.

Week 17: Seattle Seahawks

 I think Seattle will take this game , but it’s a little harder to tell this season with the defense of Seattle being atrocious and QB Russell Wilson being out with a finger injury. The Seahawks in 2020 did very well, but they had many issues. Seattle started out the season 5-0, with their offense on fire as Russell Wilson emerged as the front runner for the MVP award. Unfortunately, this MVP campaign wouldn’t last, as Seattle’s defense started to heat up after struggling mightily in earlier weeks, but the offense almost cost them many games. The Seahawks finished the season with a 12-4 record, a division title, and the #3 seed in the playoffs. This success wouldn’t last however, when a very rough game against the division rival Los Angeles Rams had them eliminated from the playoffs in the Wild Card Round, losing 30-20. In the offseason, QB Russell Wilson talked about a trade, but rumors eventually cooled down as Wilson was just asking to be more involved and wanted a better offensive line to protect him. Seattle really didn’t do this, but they were ready to “Let Russ Cook” once again in the 2021 season. They got off to a good start, beating the Colts 28-16 in Indy. They then went back home to Seattle to face the Tennessee Titans. The Seahawks should have won this game, but a bad second half allowed the Titans to get back in the game using RB Derrick Henry and eventually win it in OT 33-30. The following weeks they got destroyed by the Vikings 30-17, beat the 49ers 28-21, and lost to the Rams 26-17 on Thursday Night Football. However, the big story for that Rams game was QB Russell Wilson injuring his finger and being ruled out for the next game against Pittsburgh. This allowed backup QB Geno Smith to start, which snapped Russell Wilson’s streak of 149 consecutive games played. Seattle started off the game rough, but by using the running game they were able to get back in the game and force overtime. Tragically, with an opportunity to win, QB Geno Smith went to run the ball, but it was punched out by LB T.J. Watt, leading to a game winning field goal from the Steelers. This loss dropped the Seahawks record to 2-4. I believe the Seahawks will dominate this game, especially if Russell Wilson is back, but also because they have great weapons in WR Tyler Lockett and WR DK Metcalf.

Week 18: Green Bay Packers

 To end the season, the Packers will probably demolish the Lions if they play their starters, but Detroit might win just because they could be playing their backups so their starters can rest for the postseason. The Green Bay Packers in 2020 were the best team in the NFC and maybe even the NFL. They finished with a 13-3 record and made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game, but a down defensive game and a missed opportunity to put the game in closer reach for Green Bay was lost when HC Matt LaFleur decided to kick a field goal late into the 4th Quarter instead of going for a touchdown. This allowed the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the game 31-26 and punch their ticket to Super Bowl 55. However, Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers still had an incredible season throwing for 4,299 yards, 48 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions! Rodgers because of this amazing season was able to win the MVP award. Bad news then hit Green Bay in the offseason, when it was revealed that franchise QB Aaron Rodgers wanted a trade. His reasoning for this was because the Packers organization wasn’t letting him get more involved with decisions and because they drafted his replacement QB named Jordan Love with the #26 overall pick. Rodgers held out for most of the offseason, but the Packers and Aaron Rodgers eventually came to an agreement and he decided to play for them in 2021. Speaking of the 2021 season, the Packers are rolling as usually with a 5-1 record. They have beaten the Lions already this season on MNF in Green Bay 35-17 and the 49ers on Sunday Night Football 30-28 off of a game winning 51 yard field goal from their kicker Mason Crosby. Also, Green Bay took down the Steelers 27-17, the Bengals 25-22 in overtime with another game winning this time from 49 yards from Mason Crosby, and the Bears 24-14 where Rodgers pointed out that he still owns them. Their only loss this season came in Week 1, where a most likely rusty Packers team was demolished by the New Orleans Saints in a 38-3 defeat. Even with this one loss, the Packers have proved they are the team to beat in the NFC North. In my opinion, the only chance the Lions win this game is if the Packers rest their starters. If they don’t, Detroit will probably lose because it will be a tall task dealing with Aaron Rodgers, RB Aaron Jones who destroyed them in Week 2 with 4 touchdowns, and WR Davante Adams.

In conclusion, the Lions still have a long way to go, but I have confidence in saying that head coach Dan Campbell can turn this team around and make them something, but maybe that goal will have to wait until next season.