Odds of the Lions Finishing .500 or Better in NFC North in 2021
The Detroit Lions haven't fared very well against their rivals from the NFC North in recent memory.
They finished a dismal 1-5 against their NFC North divisional opponents in 2020, and didn't even win a single game against an NFC North opponent in 2019 (0-6 record).
In fact, the last time the Lions won more than two games against their divisional foes came in 2017, when they finished an impressive 5-1. Remember, that was the last season of the Jim Caldwell era.
From 2018-20, with Matt Patricia at the helm, Detroit went a combined 3-15 against its divisional rivals. Not even close to remotely good.
Tim Fuller, USA TODAY Sports
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Fast-forward to 2021, with Dan Campbell now as head coach, and the Lions will likely once again have an uphill battle when it comes to beating their divisional opponents.
Detroit is presently going through a multi-year rebuild, and has been predicted by many pundits already to finish at the bottom of the NFC North.
With that said, it's more than likely that the organization suffers through another sub-.500 campaign within the division.
If you go team-by-team, it becomes increasingly hard to believe that the Lions will win more than one game against each of their NFC North opponents in 2021 (the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings).
The Bears, for one, likely have taken a step forward by drafting Ohio State product Justin Fields to be their next franchise passer.
Meanwhile, the Vikings feature several dynamic offensive weapons that will be tough to stop for Detroit's defense this upcoming season, including running back Dalvin Cook and receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen.
Lastly, the Packers, even if Aaron Rodgers doesn't suit up for a single down for them, still feature a better overall roster than the Lions.
Sitting here on July 22, 2021, I place the odds of Detroit finishing .500 or better against its NFC North competition at 25 percent.
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