‘Tis the season for predictions. Forget the fact that we might not have football in 2011, because it won’t stop coaches and players from making outlandish statements about the future of their teams. Rex Ryan has already guaranteed — twice — that his Jets will win the Super Bowl next season. If you think that claim is far-fetched, you’ll love what Ndamukong Suh had to say when asked about the 2011 Detroit Lions.
“I don’t see there’s a reason why we can’t be 16-0,” Suh told the NFL Network via Pro Football Talk. “As long as we put in that hard work throughout – I don’t know if we’re going to have OTAs, but throughout camp and getting ready for that 2011 season — as long as we stay healthy and are putting in that work, I think we should be happy with what we end up with.”
Easy, killer. The Lions finished 2010 on a four-game winning streak, and the future certainly looks promising. They have tremendous young pieces on offense in Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Jahvid Best. Suh is a highly capable defensive anchor, but Detroit should probably aim a bit lower than 16-0, at least for next season. After all, their last winning season was 10 years ago.
Having said that, I have no problem with Suh saying what he said. The goal every week is to win, right? With that in mind, every team should be confident they can go 16-0 next year, otherwise you are anticipating losses. Winning teams aren’t built on losing attitudes.
