POLL: Predict The Lions' Final Record For 2011

just because we actually FEEL like a good team this year. Back in 2007 when we pulled out the 6-2 start, I knew our team wasn’t as good as our record… this year, it’s different. We’re absolutely as good as advertised, and I think anything other then the playoffs at this point would be a failure. I almost went with 10-6 to be on the safe side, but I’ve got all kinds of confidence in this team, thus the 11-5 prediction.

It’s possible they give away a game or two they shouldn’t in 2011.

Vikes, Raiders, Panthers and Chargers I think are Detroit’s games to lose. Not talking shit but I don’t think these teams are on the Lions’ level.

Chicago being at Soldier will be a challenge- but one Detroit is up to. Saints have firepower and Packers are a bunch of destroyers. These will be exciting games.

but I am expecting a 3 game winning streak coming out of the bye. The sweep of the bears…. A tough home win against Carolina… and a hard fought shootout win against Green Bay.

At the very least

Staying there right now

I will give them a W vs the Bears, Carolina, Minn and Oakland.

San Diego is a toss up

Saints I think get the edge

I think we will be competetive with Green Bay but I can’t see us winning.

I originally picked 8-8 at the beginning of the season.
I think the 2 losses showed we’re not quite ready against the very good teams but we’ll beat the bad/mediocre teams. I still think the Lions need 1 more solid draft and FA period to be a true playoff contender. Just my opinion

With wins against Chicago, Carolina, Minnesota, and San Diego, plus one of Oakland, New Orleans, and one of the two games against Green Bay. Those are all tough games, but I can’t see us losing all four of them.

I went conservative, thinking we will likely lose both games to Green Bay (I hope like hell that we win one or both, but it’s just not all that probable), and also lose to New Orleans and San Diego. I believe it is possible, but not probable, that we could win every single game left on our schedule. Too many people are clamoring about how weak our run game is, how we live or die by the big play, and how our defense is soft. I say our run game is average, if not slightly above. I say the Lions proved, rather convincingly last week and in other weeks, that they DO NOT have to win it all on bombs to Calvin Johnson, but rather they can just as easily beat teams with an average rushing attack and short passes (with a sprinkle of big plays when they present themselves…IE Titus Young’s 41 yard TD last week). And I say our defense is only as soft as our defensive line allows, not weak, but rather occasionally beatable. IF the offense can stay on track, then our defense is good enough to carry us into the playoffs. Mark my words…the Lions COULD be 14-2 at the end of the regular season. I just think it is more likely they will end between 10-6 (conservative) and 12-4 (optimistic).

Schedule is tough.

Too bad we don’t have the outdoor winter advantage coming up like GB & Chi. it’s pathetic that we lost that advantage thanks to WCF deciding to cover up our stadium.

Tell that to GB

which is what I went with. 11-5 or 12-4 is possible, but the Lions would need to prove they’ve turned another corner (and play more ‘complete’ games like they did against Denver). 10-6 should get the Lions a Wild Card spot easily, considering the other teams need to get at least 6-7 wins (Philly/Dallas/Wash need to go at least 7-2, Chicago, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay 6-3) just to reach the 10 win plateau; while Detroit would just have to go 4-4 (.500) to get there (No NFC West Teams aside from San Fran will have a shot I think). I know people don’t like that idea, but that is all it would take. We’ll probably win 4 or 5 of the last 8 games at least as well; We should be able to win Chicago, home against Carolina, home against Green Bay, home against Minnesota, and @Oakland. The other 3 games (Saints, home vs. Chargers, @Packers) are going to definitely be a lot tougher games to win. The Chargers game is probably going to be the easiest of the 3 ‘tough’ games, with the inconsistencies of Rivers this year (real surprise tbh as well). The Lions getting to 6 wins in the first half is a real advantage, specially with the tougher schedule being this half of the season

For reference, the Standings for the NFC East and South
East (Giants (5-2)) (Cowboys (3-4)) (Eagles (3-4)) (Redskins (3-4))
South (New Orleans (5-3)) (Tampa (4-3)) (Atlanta (4-3)) (Carolina (2-6))

Detroit at minimum can go .500 the last 8 games.

Chicago – wants revenge for stinging loss on national tv, Peppers who was half the reason for Matts injury at beginning of last season got put out in that game and was ineffective while their run game ran well they came up short. Not to mention Jarred Allen upstaged them in terms of getting to Detroits QB … this is redemption and a Must win for them to tie up the division race. This will be a fight and I hope to see some good smash mouth football w/ a W in the Lions column.

Minnesota – Carolina – behind two young QB’s, of these biggest trap game is Panthers because Cam is Cam. But both are the Lions to lose and thus if they do then it means they were out played by lesser teams. They need to take care of these two teams like Denver and K.C.

Then you got GB 2x, Saints , Chargers – these games I feel like they have to go 2-2 overall Chargers look suspect as do the Saints and these games are very much winnable for Detroit and they should split w/ GB. Do i think it will be the thanksgiving day one .. No i think they win the last one of the year. 3 games in 12 days is a lot to take on and Detroit though young will have to show some stamina and heart over these next 3 games.

Oakland – If Palmer gets to form and catches up w/ this offense this could be a great game and could be in must win territory when its played for both teams.

I could see a win or two more, but this is a tough schedule. I can see wins at CHI, vs CAR, vs MIN and I think we will take the home game vs SD. That’s the four wins I count right now. I could see us lose the SD, but we could also take one of the GB games and get the OAK game as well. The NO and GB game in GB are the two that I consider real losses right now… and even those are winnable.

So… 10-6 for sure, 12 wins is not out of the question.

I’m not scared. Stafford will only get better, Young will only get better, Fairley will only get better. Running game can only get better. Let me be wrong and we beat GB twice.

home vs. Minn, GB, Carolina, San Diego. @ Oak, NO, these are wins. At Chicago is a good chance for a win, The Lions have a score to settle.

But I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up 11-5 or at the very best 12-4. These Lions are very talented and I could see a playoff run this year for sure.

After we beat @MIN, @DAL (predicted losses) I bumped my prediction on the season up to 11-6 if we managed to beat ATL, but we didn’t, so I bumped it back down to 10-6.

Chicago loss or win (this is the possible 12-4 game)
Carolina Win
Green Bay Win
New Orleans Loss
Minnesota Win
Oakland Win
San Diego Win
Green Bay Loss

They will win the division even if we beat them on Turkey day and they will have the #1 spot locked up.

If Rodgers&Co even play at all it won’t be for long.

Without Stafford we lost by 2 @ GB and won 7-3 at our house. The game we lost, they ran out over 7 minutes of clock to seal it. If our D had been what it is this year, I think we would have won that game too.

Our running D looks bad on paper, but the vast majority of the yards we give up are big runs and we generally stuff the rest.

I think that 10-6 or 11-5 are reasonable expectations at this point. Going above that will be a fine performance, considering the level of competition we face in the second half of the season.

It all starts in Chicago at Soldier Field. That game is winnable and very important. If we can win there then the Lions also have very winnable games against Minnesota and Carolina at home. That brings them to none wins. Then they have to only get two more wins against the remainder of the schedule to finish at 11-5, which they can definitely do.

For worst case scenario, but I think we’ll get AT LEAST 10-6. I love my Lions, I really do, but I’d feel like a big dummy going against my earlier prediction. Anyways, the four games I strongly believe we’ll win no matter what is @ CHI, CAR, MIN, and OAK. Those are games we NEED to win. I also think we’ll break our Thanksgiving losing streak against GB. GB is great, really great…but they’re not unstoppable. I honestly think their first loss will come from NYG. @ GB will be another story. Still, I don’t see them blowing us out like they’ve done a few teams this year. I’ll check the numbers again, but on paper this year, we’re not too far off. I think they’re first for points for and we’re second and our defense hasn’t allowed as many yards per game as they have this year (again, I could be wrong) but those to GB games are key. Plus, if we beat them the first time, I think that will give us an edge in the second game, psych-wise.

Sad Diego and NO are great teams, but I wouldn’t call it a surprise if we were able to beat them. I’m really excited for this last half of football this season. We’ll get to see what Detroit’s really made of. Plus, with a healthy Stafford playing, there’s no reason to really doubt them against anybody this year.

SD is looking much less formidable than it did originally. That bodes well for us if he continues to struggle. Also, Carson Palmer is a total wildcard in Oak. Those could end up being 2 convincing wins for us if those teams end up struggling.