With the 2023 schedule released, the Detroit Lions now get a sense of the potential weekly matchups against opposing quarterbacks.
The Lions will face off against familiar faces in the division, Justin Fields and Kirk Cousins, but there is a new sheriff for the Green Bay Packers in Jordan Love. The Lions have a mix of some of the top signal callers in the league this year facing off the AFC West, but they also play against teams who are in a transition period. For some quarterbacks, it’ll be interesting to see if they can gel with their new teams or new regimes, which could determine how their season could go.
For the Lions, expectations are high heading into the 2023 season as they are looking to take the next step forward into playoff contenders. Here are the QB rankings for the opposing quarterbacks the Lions will face this year.
14. Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons
Ridder looks to take over the reins in Atlanta, but with little to go off, he lands at the bottom of the rankings. However, he does have powerful weapons in Kyle, Pitts, Drake London, and first-round selection Bijan Robinson at his disposal. We will have to see how well he utilizes these weapons.
13. Baker Mayfield/Kyle Trask, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Depending on how the season is going, the Lions could face off against either Mayfield or Trask when they meet in Week 6. The Bucs are transitioning from Tom Brady, who retired this past season, so these two quarterbacks have big shoes to fill this coming season. Mayfield has been team-hopping over the last two seasons, and Trask is unproven, hence the reason at the bottom of the rankings.
12. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Love has been under some heat ever since he was taken in the first round, and now it is time to prove to everyone, including the Packers brass they were right for taking him and spending the time grooming him. With Aaron Rodgers going to the New York Jets, Love has the reins to the Packers offense. Unfortunately, Love has not shown much in his limited playing time to scare defenses. It’ll be interesting to see what he can do with a full workload.
11. Jimmy Garoppolo, Las Vegas Raiders
Garoppolo leaves the San Francisco 49ers to the sin city to start for the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders moved on from Derek Carr in hopes Garoppolo could improve their team. Even though he has been a steady presence at the quarterback position for the 49ers, he could never get over that hump hence his departure. The Raiders have some good weapons in place, like Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs, but it’ll be on Garoppolo to full utilize their potential.
10. Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
With some bad blood with the Raiders, Carr was eventually released and signed on to the New Orleans Saints. He might not have been surrounded by the best talents during his time with the Raiders, but unfortunately, outside of Chris Olave, the Saints will be relying on mostly old-time veterans and one-hit wonders to drive their offense. Lets see if Carr can take them to the next level.
9. Andy Dalton/Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
Dalton has been announced as the starter, but you can never believe coach talk this early in the offseason, especially when you take quarterback Bryce Young with the first overall pick. Either way, the Panthers are going into a transition with Dalton or Young at the helm, as this will be a revenge game for the Lions as they were embarrassed last year. The Panthers are relying on veterans to push forward their offense, like Adam Theilen and DJ Chark, so we will see how the Panthers offense looks this season.
8. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos
The Broncos gave up a lot to get Wilson into Denver, and unfortunately for them, the experiment failed last year. Wilson had an abysmal season to most standards leaving many to wonder if Denver made the right decision. Well, they made a power move to bring legendary coach Sean Payton to the Broncos in hopes of revitalizing the Broncos and bringing the expectations to life this season. Will Wilson be able to improve this season? Just have to wait and see.
7. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
The Lions are quite familiar with Fields and what he can do on the field. With his athleticism, he has to make plays happen with his legs and his arm when he is accurate. The Bears were able to bring in DJ Moore to give Fields a proven weapon and drafted Darnell Wright to improve his protection. The Bears made sure to surround their prized quarterback with improvements, but we have to see if it works out in Chicago.
6. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Smith saw a career resurgence in Seattle last year, earning Comeback Player of the Year honors this past year and earning a nice contract extension. For Smith, he will try to prove to everyone last year was not a fluke and continue down his winning path. Seattle added Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Zach Charbonnet to an offense that already houses DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Kenneth Walker. Smith has a plethora of weapons at his disposal along with stellar offensive line, giving him everything to succeed in Seattle.
5. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
Cousins always seems to be slept on year in and year out, but he manages to prove doubters wrong and play at a high level. With Rodgers out of Green Bay, the NFC North looks to be up for grabs, and Cousins has his sights set on taking the division title. With Justin Jefferson, TJ Hockenson, and Davlin Cook as his offensive tools, he has the means to make that dream a reality. He always seems to play great against the Lions, and if the Lions want to snatch the division title, they will have to go through Cousins.
4. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
As long as Prescott stays healthy, he has proven to be one of the top quarterbacks in the league. He has sneaky athleticism and a strong arm that can make any throw happen. Even though he lost Ezekiel Elliot this year, he still has Tony Pollard, along with Ceedee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Michael Gallup, and a strong offensive line for protection. Prescott will try to snatch the division title from the Philadelphia Eagles, but he needs to stay healthy to make that happen.
3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Here where are getting into the quarterbacks who should scare the living daylights for the Lions, and we start with Jackson. He will keep defenses honest as he is able to beat anyone with his arm and take off at any moment with his legs. The Ravens have a strong offense with JK Dobbins, Rashod Bateman, and Mark Andrews, along with new additions Zay Flowers and Odell Beckham Jr. in the receiver room. The Lions will have their hands full with Jackson and will have to contain his well if they look to beat the Ravens.
2. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert proved everyone wrong and rose up as one of the top quarterbacks in the league with his cannon arm and sneaky athleticism that can make him a dual-threat quarterback. With weapons like Austin Ekeler, Mike Williams, and Keenan Allen, along with first-round selection Quentin Johnston, the Chargers offense can beat you in a multitude of ways and Herbert can just make about any throw. It’ll be a test for the Lions as Herbert as a way of making defenses look silly.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
What is there left to say about Mahomes that we already know? There is a reason why he is the Super Bowl champion, as he is on a whole level himself when it comes to the quarterbacks in the NFL. You can put anyone on the Chiefs offense and he will make it work and continue their winning ways. The Lions get to open not only their season but the first game of the NFL season against the defending Super Bowl champion. It’ll be quite the test for the Lions against Mahomes especially to start the season.
