Bold predictions for the Chicago Bears, NFC North in 2023

Bold Prediction Number 4: The Detroit Lions win the division

A season ago, the Detroit Lions began to surprise everybody when they started putting forth an admirable offense. Jared Goff looked like a guy who didn’t want the Lions to think, for a second, that they would replace him anytime soon — and people started to believe him.

Not only was Goff great in 2022, but the Lions as a team started to play some excellent football together as a team, on both sides. The addition of Aidan Hutchinson truly sparked this defense, and as the season went on, you could tell Detroit was starting to get more and more settled into playing Dan Campbell’s style of hard-nosed, gritty football on both sides.

The Lions got better this offseason, and after going 9-8 a year ago, they very well could be on their way to an 11 or 12-win season. The Vikings will probably finish right there with Detroit, and Chicago just behind them, with the division getting tight down the stretch.

But, Detroit has become more complete on both sides of the ball while Minnesota needs to see just how much better their defense can be from a year ago when they were atrocious against the pass, especially.

Detroit is going to rise to the top this coming season and pull off the unthinkable, becoming NFC North champions.