One Word. Improvement.

Every year theres one or two teams who's record doesn't tell the story of the team. The Detroit Lions were such a team last year. If you were to see, on paper, a team that had a 6-10 record one year, you wouldn't think they'd be considered in playoff consideration the next year, especially when they're in the same division as two other teams that were in the NFC championship game the two years previous. Despite the fact that the Lions fit all of these criteria, they're being discussed as a playoff contender this year. Every major sports analyst is considering them a good team this year. Now why is that? Improvement. The team won their final 4 games of the season, including a victory over the eventual Super Bowl Champion Packers.

Would I be more satisfied with a winning season than a 6-10 season? Probably. Would I be disappointed by a 6-10 season? Possibly. It all rests on the gradient of their improvement. This is a young team, under a new regime. If they came out into the season showing their full potential as a squad, it would be a miracle (or incredibly depressing). I just can't believe the team we'll see in week one will be the same team we'll see by week 17. As the season progresses, the team members will feel more comfortable in Fox/Allen/McCoy's systems. The players will have more trust in one another, and the rookies will have had some practice in the higher paced pro game.