The Detroit Lions finished with a 9-8 record last season in the NFC North and finished in fourth place. Detroit will have an easy schedule this season in the NFL. The Lions have a lot of talent returning on this team this season. Drew Petzing will be the new offensive coordinator for Dan Campbell’s squad. Petzing was the Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator last season, and he was very good despite that team having a 3-14 record.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 05: Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions celebrates with head coach Dan Campbell after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 29-27 to win their first game of the season at Ford Field on December 05, 2021 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
The Lions defense will also need to be better this season as well. Detroit will be having high expectations this season. Either them or the Chicago Bears are most likely going to win the NFC North division this season.
NFL Analyst Expects the Detroit Lions to Bounce Back In 2026
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 25: Head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions speaks to the media during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Bill Barnwell of espn.com created an article about several teams who are expected to bounce back in 2026. He thinks that Detroit will be one of the teams that will bounce back this season. Barnwell said,
“Here’s a second powerhouse that was on our list of teams likely to decline and fell further than anybody could have expected last season. The Lions dropped from 7-2 in one-score games in 2024 to 2-5 last season. Their story isn’t quite as clear-cut as that of the Chiefs, but the issues with Dan Campbell’s team in 2025 start there.
The losses were often dramatic and painful. The Lions went 0-for-5 on fourth down in a midseason game against the Eagles, turning six trips inside Philly territory into just nine points. What appeared to be a miraculous last-second win against the Steelers was overturned by an offensive pass interference penalty on Amon-Ra St. Brown. And though it wasn’t a one-score game, the Lions failed to recover all five fumbles in a 23-10 loss to the Vikings, turning the ball over six times on a day when winning quarterback Max Brosmer produced 3 net passing yards.
Failing to fall on fumbles was a subtle problem for the Lions. They recovered just under 29% of the fumbles on offense and defense last season, which was the worst mark in the league and just the fifth time since 1990 that any team has failed to recover at least 30% of fumbles in a season.
If we expand that to a 35% rate to build a larger sample, those teams were snakebit for only a single season. Those same teams recovered 51.7% of fumbles in their games the following year. Their turnover margin improved by 14 takeaways per 17 games. And, as a result, they won an average of 1.9 more contests (again, per 17 games). The Lions should come up with loose footballs more often in 2026.”
There is a good chance that the Lions will win 11-12 or more games next season. If Detroit misses the playoffs under Campbell once again, everyone is going to point to Ben Johnson not being here also.
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