Notes: Analysts Fearful Lions Have Tough Competition in Division

The Detroit Lions' schedule presents a significant obstacle for the team to overcome in 2025.

Throughout the season, the Lions will play a total of 11 games against teams that made the playoffs last year. Four of those games will be against their two division rivals that made the postseason, as both Green Bay and Minnesota will be looking to dethrone the Lions.

There's also optimism in Chicago behind new head coach Ben Johnson, which is why many pundits believe the NFC North may be the toughest division in the league. This, in turn, makes the Lions among the most vulnerable reigning division champions.

In a recent ranking of each reigning division winner from most to least vulnerable, NFL.com tabbed Detroit as the most at-risk of losing their grip atop their division.

"The NFC North came down to the final game of the 2024 regular season," wrote Judy Battista. "There’s no reason to think the division, which just sent three teams to the playoffs, won’t be as ferocious in 2025, particularly with the anticipated improvement of the Bears, who are coming off a last-place finish. The Vikings are making a switch at quarterback, but how do you bet against Kevin O’Connell making the right choice and having J.J. McCarthy ready, especially after Minnesota did so much to fortify the interior of the offensive line, the team’s biggest weakness in 2024?

"The Packers gave Jordan Love a first-round wide receiver, while the Bears have done everything possible to make life better for Caleb Williams, from hiring Ben Johnson as head coach to overhauling the interior O-line to spending their first two draft picks on TE Colston Loveland and WR Luther Burden III," Battista continued. "All of that makes for a whole lot of competition for the Lions, who are still flush with talent, but must adjust to two new coordinators after Johnson and Aaron Glenn got head-coaching jobs. Even if that process turns out to be seamless, it’s easy to envision the division again coming down to the final week."