Detroit Lions Schedule Release: Top 5 biggest takeaways from the Lions’ 2026 schedule -despite the strength of schedule, everything is against the Lions this year
The Lions have an easy schedule on paper, but man, it’s not going to be as easy as we all thought
The Detroit Lions’ 2026 schedule has dropped, and we’ve already looked over each game and even given full-on game-by-game predictions. Now it’s time to break things down a little more and talk about some big standout things we’ve noticed about this schedule.
The Germany thing is going to be a pain
It’s cool that the Lions are going to Germany, but basically, no Lions fans are going to be able to afford to get there.
On top of that, the Lions have to rush back right after the game because they have another game just a few days later when they take on the Buccaneers. That’s right. No bye week after the international game for Detroit. What makes it even worse is that the Lions have the Thanksgiving game just a few days after that Bucs game. So in all, the Lions will play three games in 12 days and will have to fit two nine-hour flights and two different periods of trying to get used to a six-hour time change. Fun.
The last four weeks of the Lions’ schedule are pretty brutal
The Lions have two back-to-back primetime games against the Vikings and Giants, and then have a short week to prepare to play in the cold and windy Chicago air, and then have another outdoor game at Lambeau the week after against the Packers. Another game that could become a night game. It’s just going to be a lot. Not just for the team, but for fans and media as well. Get ready to stay up late in December and January.
The front end of the Lions’ schedule is pretty nice.
Before the bye week, the Lions get the Saints, Jets, and Cardinals mixed in with the Bills and Panthers. All five teams can be beaten, but three of them should absolutley be beaten by the Lions. Especially the Saints and Cardinals, who are likely tanking for a quarterback in 2027.
The Lions are going to have to do the very best they can to try and stay healthy; it won’t be easy
Everything is against the Lions on this schedule. The super early bye week, the crazy 12-day swing in November, the tons of primetime and cold weather games at the end of the year. It’s all there. This is injury fuel at the end of the day. Of course, this would be the time the Lions stay healthy, right? Instead of doing it when you play a bunch of indoor games, don’t get jet lagged, and have a decent bye week.
The Lions should be able to win the NFC North off this schedule
I still think the Lions play enough bad teams in enough good spots to walk out with 12 wins and the division. It’s just not going to be as easy as the strength of schedule reports initially made it seem. But this is still a good football team at the end of the day, and we think that shines through all the negative stuff in their way.
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