What happened: The Lions used Ford Field this month to host the Michigan Girls Flag Football Championship, keeping the franchise front and center in the local football conversation during the 2026 offseason. The community push lands as Detroit's on-field expectations climb heading into the upcoming season. No recent on-field stats are attached to this signal.

Why it matters: The opinion holds because Detroit has built a roster and home-field identity that contenders measure themselves against rather than the other way around. Until another NFC club proves it can match that on the field in 2026, the Lions deserve to be treated as the bar, not the underdog.