Pair of NFL.com experts pick Lions to capture Super Bowl LXI title

As the Lions enter the 2026-27 NFL season, two NFL.com writers picked Detroit to capture its first Super Bowl title in their preseason Super Bowl LXI matchup and champion predictions .

Here are the projected matchups from both writers who believe the Lions will capture the Lombardi Trophy this coming February:

"Just days after winning Comeback Player of the Year, Patrick Mahomes leads comeback K.C. to a Super Bowl performance for the ages. Unfortunately for the Chiefs , Jared Goff wins this duel, 54-51, like it's 2018, and this pride of Lions makes history. Buoyed by a high-octane offense keyed by Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown delighting his homecoming crowd, Detroit will win the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl at the expense of the Chiefs, whose sensational turnaround ends valiantly but with Travis Kelce and Andy Reid retiring just short of another ring."

"After dispatching their former QB Matthew Stafford and the offseason champion Rams in the NFC title game, the Lions give forlorn fans everywhere a reason to believe by beating the Bolts in a battle of Lombardi-less clubs."

Eight NFL.com writers picked the Los Angeles Rams to capture the Lombardi Trophy. Three picked the Buffalo Bills to capture their first Super Bowl championship. Like the Lions, two picked the Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Texans to capture the crown.

One writer picked the Dallas Cowboys and another picked the Philadelphia Eagles to win the Super Bowl.

The Lions open their regular-season slate on Sunday, Sept. 13 at Ford Field against the New Orleans Saints . Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET and with the game broadcast on Fox.

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