Free Press sports writer Rainer Sabin answers three questions about the Detroit Lions’ schedule after it was released Thursday, May 14.
Is the schedule less favorable than it initially appeared?
When the Lions’ 2026 lineup of opponents was revealed at the end of last season, it was seen as the silver lining in the dark cloud that hung over them following their shocking last-place finish in the NFC North. Here in Detroit, fans stung by the team’s sudden downturn could take solace in the fact that it would have a less challenging road ahead in the coming year. The Lions’ 17 opponents, after all, finished with a combined .467 winning percentage in 2025. According to Sharp Football Analysis, which ranks strength of schedule based on the projected team win totals supplied by Vegas oddsmakers, the Lions have the easiest slate in the entire NFL.
But after the order of games was revealed Thursday, the Lions’ path toward a playoff return looks tougher than it initially appeared. As such, Detroit is forced to play 12 straight weeks after an early bye that falls in mid-October. That exhaustive stretch is backloaded with three road matchups against NFC rivals Minnesota, Chicago and Green Bay in the final 21 days of the regular season. Will the Lions be running on fumes by then? Maybe. Consider this: Detroit will go to Miami on Nov. 8 and then fly to Germany for a game against reigning AFC champion New England the following Sunday. Later that month, the Lions will also have to contend with the short week that accompanies their annual Thanksgiving Day game. That holiday matchup against the Bears concludes a 12-day whirlwind in which the Lions play three games across two continents. Their stamina will be tested by a schedule with a degree of difficulty that is far greater than many believed it would be when the lineup of opponents was unveiled months ago.
What is the most intriguing game on the schedule?
Under Dan Campbell, the Lions have thrived in primetime.
“I think we handle the perception of pressure well, the lights, all of it,” he said in January 2025.
The team’s 14-4 record in night games during Campbell’s tenure shows the Lions often rise to the occasion when they are put on a national stage. So it will be interesting to see if they can meet the moment again when they visit Buffalo for a Week 2 blockbuster that will serve as the grand opening of the Bills’ new $2 billion stadium. With kickoff set for 8:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, the Lions should expect a charged atmosphere inside the 60,000-seat venue.
An amped-up crowd, rife with members of one of the rowdiest fan bases in the NFL, will be rooting on a team that has made the playoffs each of the last seven seasons. Despite undergoing a coaching change, the Bills are among the five teams with the best odds to win the Super Bowl, according to several Vegas sportsbooks. The Lions are well aware of Buffalo’s might. In their last matchup in December 2024, the Bills prevailed 48-42 at Ford Field, handing Detroit one of its two regular season losses that year. If the Lions are to exact revenge for that defeat and overcome the unique circumstances surrounding this upcoming game, they’ll probably need to summon some more of their primetime magic.
What is the biggest trap game?
During that aforementioned final stretch of the 2026 regular season, when the Lions play all three divisional opponents on the road in a span of four weeks, they will face the New York Giants at home in Week 16. At first glance, it seems this game could offer Detroit a bit of a reprieve during a grueling gantlet of rivalry showdowns. After all, the Giants were among the worst teams in the NFL last season, stumbling to a 4-13 record. But there is reason to believe this matchup could prove tricky for the Lions because of its timing. If it appeared earlier in the schedule, Detroit may have encountered an opponent still transitioning under its new coach, John Harbaugh.
In that scenario, the Lions could have conceivably taken advantage of a squad still searching for its identity. But because this Monday night affair is scheduled in late December, there is a good chance the Giants’ new foundation will have settled by that point and the team will be long past its discovery phase. New York may even be fighting for a playoff berth, which would be just its second over the past 10 seasons.
It’s hard to discount that possibility, considering Harbaugh is now in charge of Big Blue. Over his 18-year tenure with Baltimore, Harbaugh led the Ravens to 12 playoff appearances. Given Harbaugh’s track record, the Lions may be in for a fight when New York comes to town right after Christmas.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him @RainerSabin on X.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why the Detroit Lions’ 2026 schedule now looks tougher than expected
Reporting by Rainer Sabin, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
