Lions Will Have Nifty New Look — and Helmet — vs. Vikings in 2023
The Detroit Lions are expected to easily swipe the NFC North away from the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers in 2023, tentatively on deck for their first division crown in 30 years.
Detroit hasn’t won a playoff game since 1991.
Lions Will Have Nifty New Look — and Helmet — vs. Vikings in 2023
And if the Lions win the division or a playoff game for the first time in decades, they’ll do it in style. News of new helmets hit Wednesday, as The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov tweeted, “Lions will wear these helmets twice this season: Week 8 on MNF vs. the Raiders and Week 18 in their regular season finale vs. the Vikings.”
Here’s the new look:
The club basically changed the design of the Lion, leaving the grey uniforms intact. Some envisioned Detroit returning to ‘their whites’ with the new helmets but no cigar.
The Lions described the helmets as “symbolizing the future” and “a shell color never before worn in the NFL.” Detroit is also commemorating the franchise’s 90th season and paying homage to the Lion logo of years past.
“This helmet will only be worn with the team’s all-gray alternate uniform,” the Lions Twitter account confirmed.
The Lions are 2023 darlings with five weeks before training camp, chiefly because of how they finished 2022. Dan Campbell’s men upended the Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 18 when all Green Bay needed was a win to advance into the postseason. Take care of business and you’re in — were the Packers stakes, and Aaron Rogders’ team choked. On the other hand, Detroit was eliminated before the tryst, leaving pride as the only motivational source.
As of late June, these are the odds of winning the NFC North:
- Lions (+140)
- Vikings (+300)
- Packers (+350)
- Bears (+375)
Predictably, reactions to the helmet tweak were mixed on social media. One fan, Monte’ White, tweeted, “Digging the helmet, not so much on the uniform/helmet combo. Hoping an all-white color rush uniform comes soon to go with these helmets.”
@DetroitRoze commented, “I love that everything is love or hate on Twitter. These aren’t bad, but they aren’t amazing either.”
@AJG questioned, “Am I the only one who think it looks cool?”
Here’s one more look at the helmets from a few angles:
The Lions are 11-19 (.367) in their last 30 matchups against the Vikings.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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