The NFC North may very well, in fact, be wide open, according to one Pro Football Focus analyst, admitting it’s an unpopular opinion.
Though finishing 3-12-1 last season and boasting +6,000 odds to win the Super Bowl, the Detroit team is arguably in the running to take the division, says PFF’s Ben Linsey (subscription required).
In PFF’s too-early power rankings from April 15, the Lions were ranked at 27. Linsey explains that’s largely around where Detroit’s been ranked since by other sports media, such as Around the NFL’s Dan Hanzus slotting them at 30th and Peter King placing them at 26th in a Football Morning in America column.