5 Reasons for Worry Ahead of Lions' 2024 Season

What is biggest cause for concern surrounding Detroit Lions in 2024?

Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Getting back to the stage where the 2023 season ended will be a difficult task for the Detroit Lions.

Dan Campbell, the team's fourth-year coach, said as much in the immediate aftermath of the NFC Championship loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The leader admitted that getting back to that point in the season will be twice as hard as it was in 2023.

Still, Detroit believes it has the necessary pieces in place to be among the league's best in 2024. With training camp set to begin this week, plenty will be learned about Detroit and where it stands after this month.

Here are five reasons for concern ahead of the 2024 season.

NFC North improvements

The Lions won the NFC North for the first time in franchise history last season and are looking to repeat with many of their core pieces still in place. While the title was rightfully earned, the Lions will face a tougher challenge within the division in 2024.

Each of the opposing teams seem to be improved from where they finished the 2023 campaign. For starters, Green Bay nearly upended the 49ers in the Divisional Round and beat the Lions in their second matchup last season.

With Jordan Love playing at such a high level, the Packers seem to have their quarterback of the future in place. Green Bay added defensive playmakers as well as running back Josh Jacobs.

Chicago drafted Caleb Williams as well as Rome Odunze, setting up an offense that threatens to be much improved from a year ago. Minnesota faltered last year after Kirk Cousins' injury and still has questions under center, but the Vikings should be improved from where they finished last season.

Because each of the teams in the North got better, the Lions will face a gauntlet within the division. Last season proved that there were no cakewalks to begin with, but this season could see the NFC North be one of the best divisions in the league.

Difficult schedule

Because the Lions finished first in their division, they will play top teams in other divisions. The Lions will play eight games against teams that made the playoffs last year, including rematches with each of their three postseason opponents.

Detroit opens the year with games against the Rams and Buccaneers, both of whom will be looking for revenge after the Lions ended their seasons in the playoffs. Also mixed in the schedule will be a showdown with Buffalo and road games at Dallas and Houston.

The Lions will certainly be battle tested as a result, with tough opponents and environments littered throughout the schedule.

Pass defense concerns

The Lions' pass defense was one of the league's worst last year for multiple reasons. It was a struggle in the secondary, while the pass-rush also struggled to generate heat.

With offseason moves, Detroit hopes it has pulled the necessary strings in both areas. Carlton Davis and Terrion Arnold are expected to help the secondary, while Marcus Davenport could be a difference maker in the pass-rush.

Detroit's defense finished second in the league against the run last season, so the efforts in that area were exemplary. However, they will need an uptick in production against the pass if they are to eventually reach their lofty goals.

History's trends

Historically, it has been tough for teams to reach the Super Bowl the year after losing in the NFC Championship game. The 49ers did it last year, becoming the first team to do so since they did it under Jim Harbaugh in the 2011 season.

As a result, history is not on the side of the Lions' success in 2024. Detroit is facing more buzz than ever before, and as a result will face pressure to live up to the high expectations.

Injury threats

If there's one factor that can quickly derail a team, it's the injury bug. The Lions were fortunate to remain mostly healthy throughout last season, a luxury not afforded to every team given the physical nature of the game.

The Lions will start training camp with four players on injury lists, including a pair of key free agent additions in Marcus Davenport and DJ Reader. Both players have injury history, so monitoring their health will be key.

Another area that has been impacted by injuries in recent years is the offensive line. Frank Ragnow dealt with a myriad amount of bumps and bruises last season. Teams in recent years with Super Bowl aspirations have had their seasons derailed by injuries, so having reliable depth in place will be just as important as keeping the starters healthy.