(QB Jared Goff – Getty Images)
Key Players Returning:
QB Jared Goff, RB David Montgomery, WR/PR Kalif Raymond, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, TE Sam LaPorta, OC Frank Ragnow, OT Taylor Decker, OT Penei Sewell, DE John Cominsky, DE Adam Hutchinson, DE Josh Pascal, DT Alim McNeill, LB Alex Anzalone, LB Derrick Barnes, LB Jack Campbell, NB Brian Branch, FS Kerby Joseph, SS Ifeatu Melifonwu, KR Khalil Dorsey, PK Michael Badgley, and PT Jack Fox.
Key Players Departing:
WR Josh Reynolds (Broncos), OG Jonah Jackson (Rams), OG Halapoulivaati Vaitai (UFA), CB Jerry Jacobs (UFA), SS Trey Walker III (UFA), and PK Riley Patterson (Jaguars).
Key Players Added:
OG Kevin Zeitler (Ravens), DE Marcus Davenport (Vikings), NT DJ Reader (Bengals), CB Carlton Davis (Buccaneers), and CB Amik Robertson (Raiders).
(CB Terrion Arnold – News Sentinel)
Draft Picks:
Round 1: Pick 024 – CB Terrion Arnold (Alabama)
Round 2: Pick 061 – CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. (Missouri)
Round 4: Pick 126 – OT Giovanni Manu (British Columbia)
Round 4: Pick 132 – RB Sione Vaki (Utah)
Round 6: Pick 189 – DT Mekhi Wingo (LSU)
Round 6: Pick 210 –OG Christian Mahogany (Boston College)
2023 Results:
W01 @ Chiefs W 21-20
W02 SEAHAWKS L (OT) 31-37
W03 FALCONS W 20-6
W04 @ Packers W 34-20
W05 PANTHERS W 42-24
W06 @ Buccaneers W 20-6
W07 @ Ravens L 6-38
W08 RAIDERS W 26-24
Bye Week
W10 @ Chargers W 41-38
W11 BEARS W 31-26
W12 PACKERS L 22-29
W13 @ Saints W 33-28
W14 @ Bears L 13-28
W15 BRONCOS W 42-17
W16 @ Vikings W 30-24
W17 @ Cowboys L 19-20
W18 VIKINGS W 30-20
WC RAMS W 24-23
DIV BUCCANEERS W 31-23
NFC @ 49ers L 31-34
Team Info:
2023: 12-5 (2nd in NFC North)
Home: 6-2
Road: 6-3
North: 4-2
NFC: 8-4
AFC: 4-1
Head Coach: Dan Campbell
Detroit: 26-27-1
Career: 31-34-1
Playoffs: 2-1
(WR Amon-Ra St. Brown – AP Photo)
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Jared Goff (407-605, 4575 yards, 67.3%, 7.6 avg., 30 TD, 12 Int.)
Rushing: David Montgomery (219 car., 1015 yards, 4.6 avg., 13 TD)
Receiving: Amon-Ra St. Brown (119 rec., 1515 yards, 12.7 avg., 10 TD)
Yards After Catch: Amon-Ra St. Brown (668)
TD’s Scored: David Montgomery (13)
Sacks: Aidan Hutchinson (11.5)
Tackles: Alex Anzalone (129)
Interceptions: Kirby Joseph (4)
Pass Deflections: Brian Branch (13)
Tackles For Loss: Aidan Hutchinson (14)
Forced Fumbles: Aidan Hutchinson (3)
Kick Returns: Khalil Dorsey (12 ret., 244 yards, 20.3 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: Kalif Raymond (29 ret., 331 yards, 11.4 avg., 0 TD)
Kicking: Michael Badgley (4-4 fg/fga., 100%, 13-15 xp/xpa., 25 pts.)
Punting: Jack Fox (57 punts, 2646 yards, 46.4 avg., 26 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 16 Jared Goff
RB: 5 David Montgomery
WR: 9 Jameson Williams
WR: 11 Kalif Raymond
WR: 14 Amon-Ra St. Brown
TE: 87 Sam LaPorta
LT: 68 Taylor Decker
LG: 60 Graham Glasgow
OC: 77 Frank Ragnow
RG: 71 Kevin Zeitler
RT: 58 Penei Sewell
KR: 33 Sione Vaki |R|
PK: 43 Jake Bates
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 92 Marcus Davenport
DT: 54 Alim McNeill
NT: 98 DJ Reader
DE: 97 Aidan Hutchinson
LB: 34 Alex Anzalone
LB: 46 Jack Campbell
NB: 32 Brian Branch
CB: 23 Carlton Davis
CB: 0 Terrion Arnold |R|
FS: 31 Kerby Joseph
SS: 6 Ifeatu Melifonwu
PR: 11 Kalif Raymond
PT: 3 Jack Fox
(DE Aidan Hutchinson – USA Today Sports)
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Jared Goff (407-605, 4575 yards, 67.3%, 7.6 avg., 30 TD, 12 Int.)
Rushing: David Montgomery (219 car., 1015 yards, 4.6 avg., 13 TD)
Receiving: Amon-Ra St. Brown (119 rec., 1515 yards, 12.7 avg., 10 TD)
Yards After Catch: Amon-Ra St. Brown (668)
TD’s Scored: David Montgomery (13)
Sacks: Aidan Hutchinson (11.5)
Tackles: Alex Anzalone (129)
Interceptions: Kirby Joseph (4)
Pass Deflections: Brian Branch (13)
Tackles For Loss: Aidan Hutchinson (14)
Forced Fumbles: Aidan Hutchinson (3)
Kick Returns: Khalil Dorsey (12 ret., 244 yards, 20.3 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: Kalif Raymond (29 ret., 331 yards, 11.4 avg., 0 TD)
Kicking: Michael Badgley (4-4 fg/fga., 100%, 13-15 xp/xpa., 25 pts.)
Punting: Jack Fox (57 punts, 2646 yards, 46.4 avg., 26 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 16 Jared Goff
RB: 5 David Montgomery
WR: 9 Jameson Williams
WR: 11 Kalif Raymond
WR: 14 Amon-Ra St. Brown
TE: 87 Sam LaPorta
LT: 68 Taylor Decker
LG: 60 Graham Glasgow
OC: 77 Frank Ragnow
RG: 71 Kevin Zeitler
RT: 58 Penei Sewell
KR: 33 Sione Vaki |R|
PK: 43 Jake Bates
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 92 Marcus Davenport
DT: 54 Alim McNeill
NT: 98 DJ Reader
DE: 97 Aidan Hutchinson
LB: 34 Alex Anzalone
LB: 46 Jack Campbell
NB: 32 Brian Branch
CB: 23 Carlton Davis
CB: 0 Terrion Arnold |R|
FS: 31 Kerby Joseph
SS: 6 Ifeatu Melifonwu
PR: 11 Kalif Raymond
PT: 3 Jack Fox
(RB David Montgomery – Getty Images)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: A
Running Backs: A
Wide Receivers: B
Offensive Line: B
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: A
Secondary: B
Special Teams
Kick Returners: C
Punt Returners: A
Kickers: B
Punters: A
Schedule:
09/08 RAMS | Detroit trails the series 13-19. The Lions are 2-3 since restarting the series in 2015, and their last series loss (19-28) was in 2021.
09/15 BUCCANEERS | Detroit leads the series 33-29. The Lions are 4-2 since 2014, and their last series loss (7-47) was in 2020.
09/22 @ Cardinals | Detroit trails the series 13-17-1. The Lions are 4-2 since 2014, and they won (30-12) the last meeting between teams in 2021.
09/30 SEAHAWKS | Detroit trails the series 5-13. The Lions are 0-6 since restarting the series in 2015, and their last series win (28-24) dates back to 2012.
10/13 @ Cowboys | Detroit trails the series 11-18. The Lions are 0-6 since 2014, and their last series win (31-30) dates back to 2013.
10/20 @ Vikings | Detroit trails the series 36-78-1. The Lions are 9-11 since 2014, and their last series road loss (24-28) was in 2022.
10/27 TITANS | Detroit trails the series 3-10. The Lions lost (25-46) the last meeting between teams in 2020, and their last series win (24-17) dates back to 1995.
11/03 @ Packers | Detroit trails the series 48-66-4. The Lions are 10-10 since 2014, and their last series road loss (17-35) was in 2021.
11/10 @ Texans | Detroit trails the series 1-4. The Lions lost (25-41) the last meeting between teams in 2020, and their only series win (28-16) was at the inaugural meeting between teams in 2004.
11/17 JAGUARS | Detroit leads the series 5-3. The Lions won (40-14) the last meeting between teams in 2022, and their last series loss (14-38) dates back to 2008.
11/24 @ Colts | Detroit trails the series 5-11-1. The Lions lost (21-41) the last meeting between teams in 2020.
11/28 BEARS | Detroit trails the series 56-58-1. The Lions are 11-9 since 2014, and their last series home loss (14-16) was in 2021.
12/05 PACKERS | The Lions last series home win (15-9) was in 2022.
12/15 BILLS | Detroit trails the series 4-7-1. The Lions lost (25-28) the last meeting between teams in 2022, and their last series win (20-17) dates back to 2006.
12/22 @ Bears | The Lions last series road win (31-30) was in 2022.
12/30 @ 49ers | Detroit trails the series 12-24. The Lions are 1-3 since restarting the series in 2015, and their last series win (32-17) was in 2015.
01/05 VIKINGS | The Lions last series home loss (35-37) was in 2020.
Predictions:
Home: 7-2
Away: 6-3
DIV: 5-1
NFC: 7-5
AFC: 5-0
Overall: 12-5 (1st in NFC North/3rd Seed – Eliminated in Conference Game)
Series Histories: Histories are from the inception of the first Super Bowl season through present day. Meetings prior to 1966 are not included. Playoff wins are included in the year the season took place. For example, if a team won a wildcard game in January of 2021, the game will be listed under the 2020 season.
gridironpredictions.net 