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According to CBS Sports, the Detroit Lions are among seven teams considered Super Bowl sleepers. While Dan Campbell's squad possesses the offensive firepower to contend for a title, their defensive shortcomings may prove too significant to overcome.
The Lions head into their Week 6 bye with a 3-2 record after a 45-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals last week. In CBS Sports' tiered ranking of championship challengers, Detroit trails Jacksonville, Cincinnati, New England, Minnesota, Chicago, and Denver in the penultimate tier.
DraftKings lists the Lions at +2600 to win the Super Bowl, odds that were current at the time of the article's publication.
NFL writer Jordan Dajani, who constructed the tiers, remains skeptical about Detroit's potential, pointing out that the defense ranks last in the NFL in total yards allowed. Dajani noted, "The Detroit Lions actually have the second-shortest odds to win the NFC North right now, so do with that what you will."
Campbell secured his first road win of the season on Sunday as Detroit dominated Arizona. However, beating a struggling team does not entirely erase concerns.
Although the Lions lead the NFL in sacks with 20, they still rank dead last in total defense, surrendering 404.4 yards per game. Even after allowing 21 points on Sunday, Detroit remains in the bottom four in scoring defense, giving up 29.6 points per contest.
This Lions team unfortunately resembles recent iterations, with Jared Goff leading a potent offense featuring Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Yet it's hard to believe that Kelvin Sheppard's defense can support a legitimate contender. That said, Sunday's performance against Arizona was encouraging, as Dajani acknowledged.
Offensively, Detroit has provided ample reasons for optimism. Goff has thrown 12 touchdowns without an interception, and Gibbs is averaging nearly five yards per carry with seven rushing touchdowns. The Lions boast the third-best passing attack in the league and rank No. 6 in total offense under coordinator Drew Petzing.
The production of Goff, Gibbs, and St. Brown has helped Detroit tie with Buffalo for the NFL lead in scoring offense at 32.8 points per game.
While the defensive outlook isn't great, a few statistics offer hope in the Motor City. The Lions have the No. 5 turnover differential in the league with nine takeaways and only one turnover. The formula may involve using the pass rush to force opposing quarterbacks into sacks or turnovers, giving Goff and the offense extra possessions that often result in points. The unit converts 77.3% of their red zone chances into touchdowns.
If the Lions can get their star safeties back before season's end, another postseason run could be promising.
Originally reported by yahoo.