I'm a single guy who constantly makes bad decisions and I listen to her
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The Lions couldn't go 12-4 in the AFC East or South. What makes you think they can do that in the NFC North? Or is this tongue 'n cheek?
A lot of lucky breaks all at the same time.
Like I said, that is my most optimistic prediction. Not the one I think will happen.
To break it down further, here's where I see all the games on the schedule:
Lions wins:
Chicago (x1; Lions and Bears generally trade road losses)
Minnesota (x1)
Arizona (Larry Fitzgerald am cry)
Dallas (Romo gonna Romo)
Definite losses:
Green Bay (x2)
Baltimore (because Monday night)
NY Giants
The Muddy Middle (where shit can go either way):
Tampa Bay (aka the Cantina Chicken Bowl sponsored by Taco Bell)
Cleveland
Cincinnati
Chicago 2nd game
Minnesota 2nd game
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Washington
So in my quick predictions, I had the Lions going 2-6 in Muddy Middle games (Tampa and Cincinnati as their wins) while in the super-optimist version, they win all 8, even if they're close games.
Almost certainly, they won't win all 8. That would require luck the likes we haven't had since the 1989 NFL Draft. But it makes nailing down an actual record tough, which is why I've seen predictions from 5-11 to 11-5 thrown about. There's no telling what team is going to show up this year and there's a number of outside factors in play, too (Big Ben's health and age wearing him down? Kelly's offense in Philly actually working or not? RG3 evading a sophomore slump and/or further injury? Weeden somehow not tanking the entire Browns organization with his play?) that make it hard for me to get a good read on them.
The 12-4 super-optimist prediction also assumes that the Bears' O-line situation is as bad as people think; that Ponder will play so bad that Vikebike is dragged down with them; that Reggie Bush is as good as actually advertised; that the injury bug doesn't come after Stafford, Megatron, Suh, Fairley or Chris Houston; and that Akers is as clutch as Jason Hanson was.
I still think that, until proven otherwise, the Lions have not earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to close games. They have a tendency to come up short in them, and until that pattern changes, I'll continue to believe that when the pressure is on in the last two minutes and they're up/down by 2, they'll implode. That's why my more realistic prediction was 6-10.
