After losing to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday Night, the 2019 preseason for the Detroit Lions is officially over. The next time the Lions take the field, the result of the game will actually go on their official record.

Lions fans always seem to have a somewhat-dumbfounded ‘this year is our year' mentality at the start of each season.

While Detroit is far from a Super Bowl contender, the pessimism from this season from the national media has not been understandable, as this team will be far from a bottom feeder in the 2019 season.

With that being said, here are five bold predictions for the Detroit Lions this season.

5. Kerryon Johnson will break out on the national scene and finish as a top-10 running back

Kerryon Johnson, Lions
ClutchPoints

Barry Sanders was one of the best running backs that the league has ever seen, and as of right now, the Hall of Famer will go down as the best player to ever don the Honolulu blue in Detroit.

While running back Kerryon Johnson will likely never approach Sanders' elite status at running back, he has the potential to make a name for himself as the best running back Detroit has had since Barry this season.

Johnson showed some flashes of greatness in his opening season in the league, as in the 10 games he appeared in, he rushed for almost 650 yards and three rushing touchdowns while also catching 32 passes for 213 yards and a receiving touchdown, proving he could be a versatile bell-cow back.

Running backs like Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner took some of those carries away from Johnson last season, but both have been cut from the team this off-season. And while veteran running back C.J. Anderson will provide a nice change of pace and a punch at the goal line, Johnson should be on the field for the majority of offensive plays.

As long as the former Auburn Tiger manages to stay healthy, expect him to have a bit of a breakout year and finish the year as a top-10 back in the yards from scrimmage department as he eclipses the 1,000-yard mark.

4. Trey Flowers will post double-digit sacks this season

CP

The Lions made a lot of flashy splashes this off-season, but perhaps the biggest name they acquired was former New Patriot edge rusher Trey Flowers.

The signing of Flowers was an obvious move for general manager Bob Quinn, as the pass rusher has championship pedigree and has experience under head coach Matt Patricia's complicated defense.

For the first time since the hay days of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, the Lions boast a defensive line full of talent, with Flowers, Damon “Snacks” Harrison, DaShawn Hand, A'Shawn Robinson and Mike Daniels each being nightmares for offensive coordinators in the NFC North.

With all that talent of the defensive line, Flowers will rarely be double teamed this season. Combine that with experience with Patricia and an ability to produce pressure in Patricia's defenses in the past, and Flowers is bound to post ten or more sacks this season.

3. Marvin Jones will outproduce Kenny Golladay in touchdowns and yards per game

Marvin Jones, Lions

Similar to Johnson, a lot of hype surrounds young wide receiver Kenny Golladay, who has been a popular breakout candidate in the fantasy football world.

Savvy fans must remember that players talked about a lot amongst the media are also being game planned against by opposing defenses set to face Detroit, and with elite length and over-the-top speed, Golladay is likely to get double-teamed more than a few times this season.

So while Golladay will indeed have a successful season, Jones has flown under-the-radar this offseason mostly due to an injury keeping him out of a lot of preseason activities.

Even with all the buzz Golladay has gotten, it can not be forgotten that over the past few years, Jones has been quarterback Matthew Stafford's target in the red zone, as the veteran receiver has a knack for outrunning opposing corners to get ideal position for jump balls and possession catches.

Being that Jones will often face the No. 2 corner on opposing team's rosters, he has a chance to expose those corners and top 1,000 yards receiving for the second time in his career. Combine that with the fact that he was targeted more than Golladay when they shared the field, and it's fair to assume that the veteran will outproduce the young guy.

2. The Lions will double their number of Pro Bowl representatives

Damon Harrison

After a 6-10 finish to the season last year, only two Lions were able to earn Pro Bowl nods, as Darius Slay was listed as a corner and Quandre Diggs was listed as an alternate at the safety.

Being that both players are in the prime of their careers, as long as they remain healthy this season, they are likely to yet again represent the NFC in Hawaii come January.

Defensive tackle Damon Harrison has been a model of consistency statistics wise and has been the best run-stuffing defensive linemen in the league according to Pro Football Focus. Another solid season should earn him the Pro Bowl accolades he deserves.

Should Johnson and Flowers break out like they are expected to, at least one of them will earn a Pro Bowl, giving Detroit 4 pro bowlers, which is a respectable number for a team on the brink of success.

1. Matt Patricia will earn his job security as the team finishes 8-8 or better in his second season

Matt Patricia, Lions
CP

There has been buzz from multiple outlets that Matt Patricia is likely to be on the hot seat this season. CBS Sports had his place on the hot seat on their Detroit bold predictions list, and The Ringer's Bill Simmons predicted that the former Patriots coordinator will be the first coach fired on Sal Iacono's ‘Against All Odds' podcast.

As far as the national media is concerned, the expectations for Patricia in his sophomore season at the helm are pretty low.

With many expecting him to be fired, he can either embrace that ‘us against the world' mentality or prove these doubters right.

With a fairly easy schedule following a fourth-place NFC North, a consistent offense with an above average quarterback and young playmakers, and a defense set to improve, expect the Lions to win at least 8 games as Patricia silences the doubters and earns the job security he deserves.