Why Detroit Lions Are 'Team to Beat' in NFC North

Q&A with NFL.com senior columnist Jeffri Chadiha

Senior NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha visited the Detroit Lions Allen Park practice facility this week to take in practice. 

All Lions had the opportunity to check in with the former Sports Illustrated writer to assess his opinion of the Lions, as they enter a season with significantly elevated expectations. 

Q: What is you impression of this year's Detroit Lions after spending the day around the team? 

Jeffri Chadiha: "I feel like they've got the right approach. Yeah, I feel like they understand the excitement around them. A lot of hype. But they got to this point by being blue collar, being workmanlike, being gritty, and they don't want to lose that. And a lot of times you get to see young teams and they begin to feel themselves and it's like, all right, now we're just going to take over because we're talented and people think we're going to do it. I think they've got the right mindset, which is to say, 'Look, we still have to keep the same process, the same faith and the same approach that our coach has been preaching for a long time.' So, I think that's going to take them a long way."

Q: The Lions have become media darlings despite missing the playoffs last season. Do you get the sense that this is the year they take the next step? 

Chadiha: "Yeah, and I think when you when you have excitement and hype, it's always a good thing to look back at how things have played out for you. So I think knowing that there was some excitement around them a little bit last year and they started 1-6, that it's very easy to wind up in that place. They still had a lot of talent. Yeah, they still were in games, but they weren't going their way. And so yeah, I think that helps. That helps you mature, that helps you grow. 

When I look at young teams that really grow up quickly in this league, like the Cincinnati Bengals did, the Rams did it when Brad Holmes was there as an executive, You know, I think the big thing you look at is can they be consistent? Can every year they show up with the same attitude and the same approach? Can they work at it? And so that's what you're starting to see here, is that they've already got the resilience part down because they've been through some tough times. Now they've got that belief. They know how to win games. Now they just have to carry it through. You know, Taylor Decker said it great. He said, 'Just because you have a great second half of your season doesn't make you a winner.' You got to do it year after year after year."

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff signs autographs :: © Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

Q: The Lions have compiled young talent on both sides of the ball. Do you think they're building this the right way? 

Chadiha: "They're big on certainly personality, and identity, and intangibles and they're very open about that. And I was talking to to Brad Holmes about it. He made it clear that when they started building this thing, that they cared more about character and how a guy approached things more than just about talent. And you're starting to see that show up, and there's a certain kind of guy they want to have here because they have a certain kind of coach, that kind of approach to it. And even I was joking with Brad about just drafting Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell, running back and linebacker, you're taking a lot of heat for that. 

But like you said, like when those guys are playing, nobody cares where they're drafted. Nobody looks at them like, 'This was a first round guy or a third-round guy or a fifth-round guy.' They're just -- you're a running back or you're a linebacker, you're an offensive tackle. And so I think that takes a lot of courage to operate that way, because this league is very much about cookie cutter. Not taking chances. So, I think they see that they know what they want to be. The players in the locker room get it, too, and it creates a nice little chemistry, a nice little trust, a nice little foundation for them to work off of."

Q: What are your thoughts on the NFC North with Aaron Rodgers now with the New York Jets? Could the Lions be a factor and win the Division? 

Chadiha: "I think it's super intriguing because, Green Bay, even though they don't have Aaron Rodgers, they've had 30 years of Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Matt LaFleur is a good coach. They still have talent over there. Minnesota has gone through some ups and downs, they're a team that won the division last year. Adam Thielen is gone. Dalvin Cook is gone. Zadarius Smith is gone. A lot of changes there. 

But I think it's going to be very competitive. I think the Bears are going to be better than people think. I think the Packers will be (too). I think the Vikings have a good coach and obviously they got Justin Jefferson and some really good players over there. But the Lions are the team to beat. I mean, that's apparent that they've got the momentum, they've got the right core. They've had  success down the stretch. So, I like them. But I think it's going to be a lot more of a dogfight than people think."