Wednesday open thread: Have your expectations of the 2022 Lions changed after two weeks?

With two weeks of the real deal under our belt, we’re starting to see an identity emerge from the 2022 Detroit Lions. Some parts of it line up with the commonplace expectations — a somewhat ragtag defense that bends but doesn’t break, a solid ground game, etc. Others — one of the league’s best offenses regardless of how Jared Goff plays, D’Andre Swift playing as one of the league’s best backs, among others — are surprises that have taken the league by storm. With all this new information, have your expectations of the 2022 Detroit Lions changed two weeks in?

Question of the day: Have your expectations of the 2022 Detroit Lions changed after two weeks?

My answer: I don’t think my expectations have changed, per se.

This team, amidst its surprises, has taken on the strengths and the weaknesses we have largely expected. A potent, weapon-filled offense still slightly handicapped by a quarterback who folds under pressure trying to keep pace with a defense that still has a few liabilities before it can compete with top-tier offenses.

What has changed, however, is my hopes. This team has proven that it can and will (no pun intended, but Dan Campbell called it) compete with teams and find ways to win no matter the circumstances. We saw a near-comeback from the passing offense against an absolutely loaded Eagles roster when the pass rush couldn’t contain Jalen Hurts. The next week, we saw the ground game dominate to keep the ball away from the Commanders while the pass rush dominated the line of scrimmage. It was two near-opposite performances, but with very similar outcomes. That’s a healthy thing to have in this league and shows that the Lions are on track to becoming a complete team as they progress this rebuild.

At the end of the day, that hasn’t changed my expectations — I expect a seven or eight-win team that is competitive in every game. However, the dynamic ways in which the team has shown up through two weeks gives me hope that they could sneak an extra couple into the win column in a best case scenario. I would envision the ceiling of this team at 10 to 11 wins, as opposed to the nine I would have spotted them prior to Week 1.

Whether that happens is dependent on whether this team can remain as dynamic through 17 weeks as they have been through two. That challenge will come with facing different schemes, beating the injury bug, and continuing to make the most of the talent on this roster.

Your turn. Have your expectations changed through two weeks of the 2022 season? Vote in the poll below.