Lions among best DVOA teams through 12 games in NFL history

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This season truly is a special one for the Detroit Lions. They are 11-1 with ten straight victories and sit as the betting favorite for Super Bowl LIX. Just how good are the Lions at this point?

If we take a look at the best teams in terms of DVOA through 12 games of a season all time, the Lions have the 7th-best DVOA. As a note, the list dates back to 1979. Even better news is that a good chunk of the teams on this list all made an appearance in the Super Bowl that season with a handful of teams hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. You’re talking teams like the 1985 Chicago Bears, 1998 Denver Broncos and 1995 Dallas Cowboys in that group.

The best DVOA at this point in the season was the 2007 New England Patriots at 59.9%. That team remains the only team to finish the regular season 16-0 and were within an arm’s reach of going 19-0 with a Super Bowl win before the New York Giants pulled the rug from under them.

There is still a long way to go for the Lions, but history certainly seems to be on their side. It’s not like they can let up anytime soon, anyway. The Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings are both 10-2 and the Green Bay Packers, Detroit’s Week 14 opponent, are 9-3. The Lions are forced to keep their foot on the pedal. That could be a good thing.

Here’s a look at where the Detroit Lions stand on the all-time DVOA list through 12 games, now No. 7. 3 more SB winners appear in the next six teams (2004 NE, 1999 STL, 1992 DAL).

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— Aaron Schatz (@aschatz.bsky.social) December 2, 2024 at 9:11 AM

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