Did The Week 12 Upsets Set Up The Detroit Lions’ Future Perfectly?

This week consisted of an extreme amount of upsets which shook up the draft order and playoff picture a lot. In particular, these upsets helped the Detroit Lions out more than anyone, right at the peak of their play. Let’s talk about how this week set up the Lions’ future greatly and if they are in a position to capitalize on this.

How Did These Upsets Set Up The Lions’ Draft Picks?

This week was one of the biggest all year in terms of upsets and it rose the Lions’ first round pick from the Los Angeles Rams from pick seven to pick three. This happened because of the Panthers whooping the Broncos, the Browns beating the Buccaneers, the Jaguars beating the Ravens and the Raiders beating the Seahawks. The Rams’ season is pretty much over with Cooper Kupp being out for almost the rest of the year, and Matthew Stafford is unsure if he’ll return at all this year, so it’s hard to see them winning any more games this year. If they do not win any more games then the Lions are guaranteed a top three pick in this star-studded draft.

The Lions have looked like they have finally put the pieces together at this point in the season and they now get an even bigger blessing from the Rams in this draft pick. No matter how the draft pans out the Lions will have one of the top three guys available to help them complete this rebuild and could end up with Bryce Young, Will Anderson Jr., or Jalen Carter. Any of these options would help Detroit set up their future greatly, as Bryce Young would be the Quarterback of the future, Will Anderson would create an unstoppable edge rush with Aidan Hutchinson, and Jalen Carter would fill the missing piece in Detroit’s defensive line.

How Do These Upsets Set Up The Rest Of The Lions’ Season?

With some of the better teams falling this week the Detroit Lions have climbed up to third place in the hunt for the playoffs and may have some hope to make the final wildcard spot in the playoffs. The Lions have been hot recently, going on a three game win streak and then almost beating one of the best teams in the league on Thanksgiving, if Goff would’ve hit DJ Chark for a sure touchdown. The Lions’ upcoming schedule is seemingly favorable for them with an upcoming game against the Jaguars, followed by the Vikings, Jets, Panthers, Bears, and then the Packers.

This upcoming schedule can range anywhere from two to six wins for the Lions and either way the Lions are in a good spot. If they win five or six of these games then they have an extremely good shot at the playoffs on top of a top three pick, and the second year of a rebuild can’t get any better than that. If the Lions win any less than that then they are still in a good spot, as it would bring great confidence to what the team is building and give them another top ten pick likely.

Are The Lions In A Position To Capitalize On This Opportunity?

The Lions and their fans seem more confident in how the team’s future is set up than at any point in recent team history. If Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell can continue what they have been doing the past two years then the team can not only potentially end up in the playoffs this year but will be put in a position to be legit contenders next year. If they don’t capitalize on it this year then they are set up to be big spenders in the offseason and they will have some clarity on who they need to take in the draft to be contenders next season.