After seeing Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders captivate fans with his performances for 10 seasons (1989-98) and the franchise winning a conference championship in 1993, nothing great has been accomplished by the Detroit Lions. Since the division’s name change from NFC Central to NFC North in 2002, the Lions have not delivered a conference title to Ford Field.
This season stands as a long shot – especially when dealing with Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Mitchell Trubisky – however, Detroit has a chance to not only make the playoffs but also generate a Super Bowl push for the first time since the AFL/NFL merger took place in 1970.