Lions Tied for Best Record in NFL

Lions beat Buccaneers to gain a stake of best record in NFL.

Mark down the date: October 15, 2023. Because it's the day on which the Detroit Lions gained a stake of the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

The Lions did so by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a one-loss team prior to the Week 6 matchup. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers each lost their first games of the season, dropping to 5-1. 

Similarly, the Eagles and the 49ers each suffered road defeats, with Philadelphia falling to the Zach Wilson-led Jets and San Francisco falling to the Deshaun Watson-less Browns. 

Along with being on top of their own conference, the Lions – standing at 5-1 – are now tied with the Miami Dolphins and the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs for the best record in the entire National Football League. Dan Campbell's squad handed Kansas City its lone loss of the year in the 2023 season opener.

"Listen, I'm happy we're winning, and I love where we're at right now," Campbell said after his team's road win over Tampa Bay. "Right now, it's about trying to find a way to finish first in this (NFC North) division, and right now, we're in a pretty good spot. We've got a lot of football left, but I'm proud of our guys." 

Dating back to last season, Detroit has gone 13-3 in its last 16 games – the franchise's best 16-game stretch since the 1961-1962 seasons.

Next up for the Lions is a road contest with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday (1 p.m. kickoff).