NFL Predictions 2011: 7 Resons the Detroit Lions Will Make the Playoffs

Do you know what those eyes are saying?  Come on, do I really need seven reasons to tell you why my Detroit Lions will make the playoffs?  I would not want to be in a staring contest with Ndamukong Suh, nor would I want to be an opposing quarterback for that matter, so I'll just jump right into why the Lions will make the playoffs this year.

Offensive Returning Starters

It is rare that an NFL team will come back the next season with every starter returning.  This year is going to be that kind of year for the Lions, as they are putting out the exact same week one lineup as they did last year.  Yes, their secondary players such as Titus Young and Maurice Stovall are new, but in a base one running back, two wide receiver, two tight end package, every starter is the same.

This consistency will do wonders for the Lions as every player already knows the playbook inside and out.

It is a major advantage over teams who have new players, especially in a shortened offseason.  Look for them to ride this advantage all the way to the playoffs.

The Home Crowd

You may think you have it hard to root for your team sometimes.  It has always been hard to root for the Detroit Lions.  They have never been to the Super Bowl, haven't made the playoffs since 1999 and had one of the best players in the history of the NFL walk out on them weeks before the season started.  This is just the beginning of the list, but for some reason the Lions fans still back their team every year. 

According to Mike O'Hara from Fox Sports Detroit, the Lions have sold over 11,200 new full season ticket packages, which is good for second in the league!

The Lions will be in front of a sell out crowd every week for the first time since their streak ended in 2008, when they had 50 consecutive Ford Field sellouts.  The stadium will be electric week after week, and it will be hard for the Lions to lose at home, propelling them to their playoff run.

Upgraded Defense

The defensive line depth is undeniable in Detroit.  They cut ties with Turk McBride earlier in the season and he now starts for New Orleans.  This offseason, the Lions also signed three Week 1 starters; Justin Durant, Stephen Tulloch and Eric Wright. In addition, they drafted Auburn standout Nick Fairley who hasn't even played, yet the Lions defense has been ferocious this preseason. 

Look for this group to dominate the line of scrimmage this year, and we all know that's where it all starts.  The pressure on the quarterbacks will diminish the weaknesses they may have in the secondary and propel this team to the playoffs.

NFC North Competition

The Lions will crush the NFC North just like they are crushing Andrew Quarrels in this picture.  We all know they got robbed week one and again week 13 against the Chicago Bears.  If you watched either of those games, the Lions were clearly the better team. The Lions and Bears will play on Monday Night Football on October 10th, and the whole country will watch the Lions repay the Bears for those losses.

In week four they only lost to Green Bay by four and avenged that loss in Week 14, giving the Packers one of their last losses before their Super Bowl run.

The Lions got beat pretty good in week three against the Minnesota Vikings, but once again avenged their loss with a 20-13 victory in Week 17.

The Lions are clearly the most improved team in the division this season.  If the Lions can do any better than split with their divisional opponents, I think it will be an easy road to the playoffs.

Ease of Scheduling

Roger Goodell and the Lions decided on a pretty good schedule for the 2011 season.  The opponents might not be the easiest out of the league and the Lions may have to travel far distances, but check it out.

After their bye in Week 9, heading into the colder months, the Lions play at Chicago in Week 10 (could be cold or warm), inside at New Orleans in Week 13, at Oakland in Week 15 (most likely warm) and at Green Bay in Week 17, which will be cold. This means that, other than Week 10 and Week 17, the Lions will be inside or in a warm weather city.  This gives the Lions and their high powered passing game a great advantage as they will have relatively no weather to deal with heading down the main stretch of the season.

Look for this to be another aspect in their playoff push.

Calvin Johnson Will Have an MVP Season

There has only been one wide receiver ever to win the NFL MVP award and we all know it was Jerry Rice.  I am not saying that Calvin Johnson is Jerry Rice, but he may have the raw, physical skills to compare to him.  Calvin is actually bigger, stronger and faster than Rice, but Jerry Rice is Jerry Rice. 

The 49ers also went 14-2 that season and Rice was a big reason why.  He only played in 12 games but gained 1078 yards and a record setting 22 touchdowns.  Calvin Johnson has the talent to surpass that record and Randy Moss' 23 touchdowns. 

While doing the quarterback shuffle in his first four seasons, Calvin has gone on to score 33 touchdowns and average almost 69 yards a game.  This year will be much different with Matthew Stafford finally reaching his full potential.

If Matthew Stafford can stay healthy, I think this will lead to Calvin Johnson having an MVP season and will help propel the Lions to the playoffs, which leads me to...

Matthew Stafford Will Play in All 16 Games

We have seen the last of this picture, Matthew Stafford on the sideline in street clothes.  He will finally shake the injury bug and play in all 16 games this season.  He never had a serious injury before coming to the Lions and is under huge pressure to stay healthy this year. 

Stafford knows that if he gets hurt again, his time in Detroit is done.  He will be given his guaranteed money and the Lions will start looking elsewhere.  The former No. 1 pick will then go down as one of the biggest draft busts of all time, and it will be hard to find another job. 

For that reason, Matthew Stafford has had his best offseason ever and is 100 percent healthy probably for the first time since he injured his shoulder his rookie season.  When he goes for all 16 this year, there is no way the Lions will not make the playoffs.

Last year, every game Stafford played in, he was leading. If he completed those games, the Lions could have maybe even made the playoffs last year.  The Lions finished 6-10 while playing three different quarterbacks!  I'm sorry, but Stafford is a huge upgrade on Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton. Watch the Lions flip that record to 10-6 this year and make the playoffs.