The Detroit Lions are currently the team to beat in the NFC North.
After winning the division in back-to-back seasons, the three other teams have steadily worked to bridge the gap.
Following the conclusion of the NFL Draft, analysts have started to question if Dan Campbell’s squad are still the best team in a division that is again expected to be one of the toughest in the National Football League.
On “Good Morning Football” earlier this week, analysts Ross Tucker and Kyle Brandt acknowledged the Lions were still the best team until dethroned, but made the case why other squads are closing the gap.
“They are until someone proves otherwise. But I would just tell you this, I think the Packers are right there, nipping on their heels,” said Tucker. “A couple different reasons. Number one, the Lions lost both coordinators. That is big. If you don’t think that is significant, talk to the Philadelphia Eagles during the collapse at the end of the 2023 season. After 2022, they lost Steichen to the Indianapolis Colts, Gannon to the Cardinals.
“This will be a huge test of Dan Campbell’s coaching staff, of him as a head coach, to see if he can keep that same level of performance without Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn.”
Brandt indicated the Bears, despite firing Matt Eberflus, have been involved in competitive contests and have defeated the Lions with Campbell at the helm. The energetic analyst noted the Bears should have the Lions’ attention, based on hiring Ben Johnson and the roster adding more talent this offseason.
“Tough to stay on top. Tough,” Brandt explained. “The coordinators, the other teams getting better, this is why you just don’t see a lot of crazy runs and these divisions have different winners every year. It’s April 30th, of course I’m gonna say the Lions, we’ll see in five months. They still have the best quarterback. I think they still have the best offensive line, the best run game. But there’s things to chew on here. The Lions and Packers, I feel like, are solid and the Vikings and Bears have mystery about them. The Vikings because of the quarterback, the Bears just because they’re the Bears.”
Last season, Eberflus was dismissed as Bears coach after a high-profile game-manager gaffe that resulted in his tenure ending.
“Two years ago, Matt Eberflus beat the Dan Campbell Lions. Last year, it was Matt Eberflus’ final game as coach on Thanksgiving. The Bears had the Lions beat. It was an all-time choke job in which the Bears ran out of time with a timeout,” Brandt commented. “So, the Lions fans understand that the Bears are loaded in the sense of talent. You can sit there and say, ‘Bears this, Bears that.’ I’m not, it’s the Lions. But I think especially with Ben Johnson, the Bears have the Lions’ attention.”
