Lions fans are irked with me. I mean irked, as in mildly annoyed, as in might not want to buy me an ice cream sundae, or let me merge into a busy line of traffic. I don’t think they hate me. Detroit football fans don’t seethe like that.

It sure was far from the easiest path taken. Nevertheless, after 18 long, strenuous weeks, the Detroit Lions finally captured what was rightfully theirs: the NFC North division crown.

The Lions and Chiefs are in a tier of their own odds-wise, thanks to their 15-win seasons and accordant first-round byes. But both have nagging concerns that, if you squint hard enough, begin to look a lot like vulnerabilities. Will any of their potential opponents through the postseason be able to capitalize on those vulnerabilities?