Who ends up more successful this year - Lions or Wolverines?
And yes, that's not a question I would expect to be asking seriously.
The Lions are 9-4, currently leading the division over 7-6 Minnesota and Green Bay. They play @NYG and @DAL then host GB to close out the season.
The Packers play @CHI, host MIN then @DET. The Vikings host IND, then @GB and host CHI.
The Lions have a pretty good chance to take advantage of the Vikings horrific injury run and the Packers' malaise. Winning the division for the first time since 1993 would be quite the accomplishment.
So, do you think the Lions will make the playoffs, and is that a more successful season than the Wolverines?
December 12th, 2016 at 7:28 PM ^
With Stafford dislocating a finger on his throwing hand, it wouldn't surprise me if the Lions lose the rest of their games this season. Therefore, Michigan is more successful.
December 12th, 2016 at 7:28 PM ^
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December 12th, 2016 at 7:29 PM ^
... Not much to cheer about since the 4 SB losses.
December 12th, 2016 at 7:31 PM ^
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December 12th, 2016 at 8:19 PM ^
December 12th, 2016 at 10:54 PM ^
Kinda dating yourself here. A lot of people on this board weren't around that year.
(Not I. My one trip to a Lions game that year was against the Rams--when Mike Utley got hurt and gave the thumbs up).
December 13th, 2016 at 6:14 AM ^
December 12th, 2016 at 7:31 PM ^
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December 12th, 2016 at 9:45 PM ^
Shut your pie hole! The Bill's have bene in four (4) - FOUR - Super Bowls in your lifetime. You don't get to complain next Lions and Brown's fans. Even the Brown's have been to more AFC Championship games than the Lions have seen NFC Championship games. Ughh!! Most sad-sack NFL ever...
December 13th, 2016 at 8:53 AM ^
4 straight SBs does not compare. That is euphoric, knowing that your team did everything they could and was easily the best in a weak AFC for four years.
December 12th, 2016 at 8:59 PM ^
Think on that and be dismayed!
One game at a time but with Stafford's hand hurt and a running back tandem of Washington and Zenner, and really most of the Lions wins coming against poor teams, I'm going to take the other shoe off myself and hope for the best.
December 12th, 2016 at 7:30 PM ^
What's the equal to an Orange Bowl win for the Lions?
December 12th, 2016 at 7:30 PM ^
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December 12th, 2016 at 7:37 PM ^
Then I say push.
Michigan wins the Orange Bowl. Lions win a Wild Card game, but lose the next game.
December 12th, 2016 at 7:54 PM ^
The Lions are going to win their division.
December 12th, 2016 at 8:03 PM ^
if they win the division and dont get the bye week (1 or 2 seed), they will play a wild card game.
December 12th, 2016 at 8:34 PM ^
No shit genius but they would have a division title which would technically be more successful than Michigan this season. That was the point.
December 12th, 2016 at 9:02 PM ^
Winning a four-team division with three mediocre/bad rivals is a little different than winning a seven-team division that is probably the best in all of college football.
The Lions are basically in a divison with the equivalents of Maryland, Indiana and Rutgers.
December 13th, 2016 at 3:24 AM ^
This is the Lions we are talking about. I would consider it a comparable acheivement if relative historical success is taken into account.
December 12th, 2016 at 9:39 PM ^
Winning the NFC North and losing in the wild card game is equal to Michigan going 10-2, losing on a couple of plays and beating FSU in a New Year's Six bowl?
December 13th, 2016 at 8:56 AM ^
Normally I'd agree, but in this case I think just making the Wildcard is the comparison. Winning the division is the CFP. Sitting on 9 wins, there are only a handful of other options... not making the playoffs now would be like us playing Western in the Cotton Bowl.
December 12th, 2016 at 7:52 PM ^
December 12th, 2016 at 8:00 PM ^
Losing a wild card road game.
December 12th, 2016 at 7:30 PM ^
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December 12th, 2016 at 7:30 PM ^
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December 12th, 2016 at 7:30 PM ^
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December 12th, 2016 at 7:31 PM ^
December 12th, 2016 at 7:37 PM ^
Nah. One quarter of the league wins a division every year. NY6 bowl berths are relatively plentiful but even this year with the B1G dominant a quarter of the teams in the conference haven't made it.
For the Lions winning a playoff game would be a pretty big achievement. In absolute terms a conference final berth would be a better achievement than anything that's left on the table for Michigan.
December 12th, 2016 at 7:55 PM ^
Well about 1/5 of the Power 5 make a NY6 bowl. And given the parity in the NFL it probably is harder to win a division than make the NY6.
December 12th, 2016 at 8:12 PM ^
I would say the exact opposite - the NFL's attempts at parity make it quite likely that any franchise will enjoy some success from time to time. It's just hard to sustain it.
December 12th, 2016 at 8:53 PM ^
Since the Lions last division title (1993), every other NFC franchise has won their division at least three times.
December 12th, 2016 at 8:56 PM ^
That is amazing.
December 12th, 2016 at 9:07 PM ^
Here are the current NFC North standings:
Detroit - 9-4
Minnesota - 7-6
Green Bay - 7-6
Chicago - 3-10
You think that winning this is harder than making a NY6 Bowl in college?
December 12th, 2016 at 9:30 PM ^
December 12th, 2016 at 9:39 PM ^
GB: @Chicago, vsMinnesota
DET: @NYG, @DAL
Just based on the Lions going on the road to face the top two teams in the NFC East and GB going to Chicago (on their 3rd QB) and hosting a struggling Minnesota offense, you can see why there are a lot of skeptics out there.
Also, the last time Stafford had a glove on his hand outdoors, he threw 35 INTs against the Bears in sorta crappy weather. The early forecast for NY/NJ on Sunday is not great, with rain in the forecast. I regularly drink the kool aid, but even I'm concerned about the next two weeks.
December 13th, 2016 at 12:17 AM ^
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December 12th, 2016 at 7:32 PM ^
Patriots
December 12th, 2016 at 7:34 PM ^
Kind of hard to find direct equivalence in achievements, since divisions mean different things and records mean different things in the two levels of play. Making the championship game seems to be a roughly equivalent level of achievement; beyond that, who knows?
The Lions are a long way from wrapping up the division. If they can hold the two-game lead, fine; but they have to beat the Giants and the Cowboys while the Packers have winnable games. If the Packers gain even one game on the Lions, the division comes down to Aaron Rodgers vs. the Lions secondary in the last game of the season.
December 12th, 2016 at 7:38 PM ^
December 12th, 2016 at 9:08 PM ^
FYI, in the preseason polls Michigan was #7 (AP) and #8 (coaches).
December 13th, 2016 at 9:00 AM ^
Michigan was never even consistently picked to win our division and quite a few pundits both here and in the media claimed we were inferior to Iowa.
Funny how expectations change memories, huh
December 13th, 2016 at 11:42 AM ^
December 12th, 2016 at 7:42 PM ^
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December 12th, 2016 at 7:43 PM ^
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December 13th, 2016 at 12:11 PM ^
December 12th, 2016 at 7:44 PM ^
The Lions will win the Super Bowl.
Think!
Leicester City won the Premiership
Cavs won the NBA Finals
Cubs won the World Series
Trump won the Presidency
Really only leaves one option in the Super Bowl with the Browns being 0-98 doesn't it?
December 12th, 2016 at 8:34 PM ^
December 12th, 2016 at 8:37 PM ^
December 12th, 2016 at 9:30 PM ^
December 12th, 2016 at 8:36 PM ^