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If NFL franchises were EURO 2020 Teams: Part 2

By Tadhg Flynn

The NFL logo is seen on the side of the NFL Network building in Culver City, a westside neighborhood of Los Angeles on August 24, 2020. - A rash of COVID-19 results that forced multiple NFL teams to adjust their weekend training plans were false positives due to "isolated contamination during test preparation," the lab responsible said August 24, 2020. (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP) (Photo by CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
The NFL logo is seen on the side of the NFL Network building in Culver City, a westside neighborhood of Los Angeles on August 24, 2020. - A rash of COVID-19 results that forced multiple NFL teams to adjust their weekend training plans were false positives due to "isolated contamination during test preparation," the lab responsible said August 24, 2020. (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP) (Photo by CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Detroit Lions. Credit: USA Today Sports/Syndication: Detroit Free Press
Detroit Lions. Credit: USA Today Sports/Syndication: Detroit Free Press /

Turning our attention to the next set of EURO 2020 teams and seeing which NFL franchises work out as their obvious counterparts.

We still have a little more than a month until the 2021 NFL preseason finally arrives. And while fans have been able to look at minicamps, OTAs and workouts to glean some NFL content, another kind of football has been dominating conversations in the sports world.

The EURO 2020 tournament, postponed a year due to COVID-19, has been capturing the attention of the soccer/European football world as the best national teams on the continent have been duking it out in a 32-team tournament to determine a champion. We’ve now reached the knockout stages with only 16 teams remaining.

But that raises an interesting question? Which NFL franchises are most akin to the remaining teams in EURO 2020. On Friday, we looked at four comparisons and we have four more today as we continue to compare.

4. Czech Republic – NFL Franchise Comparison: Detroit Lions

Next game: vs. the Netherlands, Sunday, June 27

Of all the teams left at EURO 2020, the Czech Republic are the ultimate underdog remaining. They played some good football throughout the group stage — including Patrick Schick’s goal of the tournament contender — but they are admittedly the least talented squad remaining in the last 16.

The majority of their squad are not playing for big clubs and are plying their trade across the smaller teams of Europe. However, they stick to their game plan and provide a difficult unit to break down. They have won, drawn and lost one game each in their group stage matches. They have only conceded two goals so far and, if they keep their shape and make life difficult for opponents, who knows what could happen.

If you want an underdog, what better team to compare the Czech Republic to than the Detroit Lions? The Lions have been consistently one of the worst teams in the NFL for some time now, and their woes may well continue into the new season.

Jared Goff has arrived from the LA Rams as part of the Matthew Stafford trade but their offensive weaponry is not deep. Their defense can’t keep opponents out. They will need to have a rigid game plan and good coaching to find success in the coming year.

Detroit fans can turn their minds from these potential woes by rooting for the Czech Republic to come out against the odds. If they can win the EUROs, anything is possible for the Lions in the 2021 season.

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