Category: Schedule

2020 Lions schedule: Fan’s most anticipated game on the schedule

With the Detroit Lions schedule released, we gauged the #OnePride fanbase’s thoughts on which Lions game they are most eager to see.

With the Detroit Lions 2020 schedule released, it is not only a  time for everyone to make their season predictions but a time to circle our calendars for the most anticipated games.

We at Lions Wire gauged the #OnePride fanbase’s thoughts on which Lions game they are most eager to see.

Unfortunately for fans, they are going to have to wait until Week 16 before they can see the Lions play against the new faced Bucs at Ford Field.

With a new sheriff in Tampa Bay, it’s no surprise that the majority of fans what to see the matchup with Tom Brady at the helm. Also, with no primetime games on the Lions schedule and this being a potential flex game, this may be the closest fans get to a big stage game.

Looking solely at opponents, I was eager to see games against the Saints and Titans. The Saints sport an offense consisting of Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, and Alvin Karama, and would be a good test for the Lions’ new-look defense. This could make for exciting television.

The Titans and Lions run a similar style scheme — on offense and defense — and their balanced attack on offense with Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry, Corey Davis, and A.J Brown makes it difficult for defenses to figure out. Along with their strong defensive front led by DaQuan Jones and Jeffery Simmons could make it a long day for the Lions’ offense. With the similar styles of play between the Lions and Titans, it could look like an 80’s style ground and pound football game.

The top game I have circled on my calendar is the Thanksgiving game against the Houston Texans. The last time the Lions played the Texans on Thanksgiving it was something most Lions fans want to forget. Due to a rule that shouldn’t have been there in the first place, the Lions lost in heart-breaking fashion. Outside of the turkey and pie, getting revenge on the Texans should be enough to get you excited on Thanksgiving.

The initial predictions have the Lions landing between six and eight wins, which would be quite an improvement from last years 3-12-1 finish, but would more than likely fall short of a playoff spot. It’ll be a tough road ahead playing against quality opponents with some elite quarterbacks and robust defenses, but it’s the NFL, and you never know what can happen.

[vertical-gallery id=43365]

Check out game-by-game score predictions from around the NFL Wires network:

Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC //// Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea

Opinion: Lions games I’m looking forward to in 2020

Our Sonja Greenfield highlight which Detroit Lions games she is most looking forward to during the 2020 regular season.

The Detroit Lions have released their 2020 schedule and while there are plenty of interesting games on the docket, I was asked which games I was most looking forward to.

Is it OK to say all of them?

If only because it’ll mean that life as we know it is back to normal — or close to it, anyway. Outside of that, here are the ones I’m looking forward to seeing the most.

  1.  Both Chicago Bears games. I really want to see Jeff Okudah feast on the Bears offense. And it’s always a good day when the Lions beat the Bears.
  2. The Cardinals. We know that The Tie will be the big storyline going into the game. So, let’s actually win this time.
  3. The Saints. If the Saints start 3-0 and the Lions are at least 2-1, it’ll be a very good test for the Lions. And if the Lions are 1-2, or heaven help us, 0-3, I’ll at least be able to see Cesar Ruiz from Michigan at center.
  4. The Redskins. That’s a family thing. My father in law is a Redskins fan so that one is always a fun game for me personally.
  5. Thanksgiving. Regardless of who they play — it’s the Texans this year –, it’s my favorite holiday. You can never go wrong with food and football.
  6. Green Bay at home in December. It’s always fun to beat the Packers — especially at home.
  7. Tampa Bay. It’ll be fun to see Tom Brady in something other than a Patriots jersey. Besides, the last time Brady was in Detroit for a regular-season game, the Lions beat him. So, can lightning strike twice?

[vertical-gallery id=43365]

Check out game-by-game score predictions from around the NFL Wires network:

Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC //// Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea

The Lions did not earn any primetime games in 2020

The Lions did not earn any primetime games in 2020 and it’s a deserved slight from the NFL for the way the team has performed

The Detroit Lions will not make a single appearance on any national primetime games in 2020. No Monday Night Football. No Sunday night games to a national audience. Not even a single Thursday night matchup.

That is not by accident. The NFL doles out primetime appearances based on star power, a track record of success, fan excitement, expectations for the season and more. And the Detroit Lions fail to check any of those boxes on a national level.

It’s a harsh reality, but it’s where the Lions are as the team enters Year 3 of Matt Patricia’s coaching reign. They’ve won nine games in two seasons and carry a 9-game losing streak into the season. Their most marketable player from recent times, Darius Slay, is now in Philadelphia. The franchise cornerstone QB, Matthew Stafford, has broken bones in his back two straight years.

The Lions get their one moment to shine under the national spotlight on Thanksgiving. That’s all they have earned. Finishing in the bottom third in both offense and defense a year ago, playing a grinding style with a roster that lacks national cache and star power, the Lions simply don’t move the needle enough to draw in fans from other cities.

It’s up to the team to change that narrative. If they want to flip the script and earn primetime games, it means winning more games. The over/under for the Lions win total in 2020 is 6.5, not exactly dreadful but also not bullish. But it also means being exciting and buzzworthy, something the Lions are not.

Take the Arizona Cardinals, a team that finished 5-10-1 in 2019 and has one fewer win than the Lions in the last two years. The Cardinals will play two games in primetime and have a good chance for a third late in the year with the NFL’s flex scheduling. Kyler Murray throwing to DeAndre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald is marketable, and their dynamic young coach Kliff Kingsbury living in what appears to be a Bond villain house helps raise the profile.

There is a real opportunity here for Patricia and the Lions to rally around the national disrespect. “Detroit vs. Everybody” is a readymade catchphrase for a team that has several underappreciated talents on a national level (Kenny Golladay, Tracy Walker, Trey Flowers, Frank Ragnow, even Stafford) and a style of play that will be difficult for opponents. Embrace the lack of recognition, the painfully low expectations and shock the world. Then they’ll have to make room for the Lions all over the primetime schedule in 2021.

But until that happens, the Lions have not earned the right to be under the national spotlight.

[vertical-gallery id=43365]

A look back at the last time the Lions and Texans met on Thanksgiving

After a disappointing 3-12-1 season, it’s not overly surprising that the Detroit Lions were only awarded one nationally televised game in 2020.

After two consecutive Thanksgiving Day games against the Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions will have a new opponent this year — the Houston Texans.

The Lions and Texans have faced each other just four times in their history with the Lions winning the inaugural meeting and dropping the next three, each loss by just one score.

Ironically, the most famous of the Lions-Texans’ games came in 2012 on Thanksgiving day, with the Texans winning in overtime 34-31, after one of the most controversial moments in then-coach Jim Schwartz’s career.

The Lions traded touchdowns in the first half, with the Lions scoring in the final 22-seconds to go up 21-14 at the half. The Lions were the first to score in the third quarter — a Jason Hanson field goal — to take a 10-point lead going into the later parts of the game.

Late in the third quarter, Texans running back Justin Forsett rushed the ball up the middle and was clearly down — both elbow and knee — but with no whistle blown, he gets up and 81-yards later he was in the endzone.

Everyone knew he was down.

Everyone.

Schwartz threw the challenge flag and controversy ensued.

The NFL has a rule in place where every scoring play was reviewed and referee’s commonly let a close situation play out, knowing they could look at it on replay after it was over — but in 2012 there was a unique addendum to the rule.

With the referee already needing to review the scoring play, Schwartz’s challenge was deemed unnecessary and per the NFL rulebook — which has substantially been changed to avoid this situation in the future — Schwartz was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct and his challenge nullified the referee’s ability to review the play, and in turn, the “touchdown that wasn’t” counted.

“I knew the rule — you can’t challenge on a turnover or a scoring play — but I was so mad that I overreacted,” Schwartz said after the game. “I had the flag in my hand before he even scored because he was obviously down.”

The teams continue to swap touchdowns and field goals over the final quarter and eventually end up in overtime.

In overtime, both teams had multiple possessions, each turned the ball over, and each missed a field goal — Hanson’s 47-yarder hit the right upright — before Texans kicker Shayne Graham hit a game-winning 32-yard field goal.

If you want to relieve the game you can in the video below, and if you want to see the Schwartz controversial mistake, skip ahead to the 1:23:09 mark:

[vertical-gallery id=43365]

2020 Lions schedule: Instant takeaways

An instant reaction to the Detroit Lions 2020 schedule release, examining the highlights and lowlights for the upcoming season.

The Detroit Lions 2020 schedule has been released, so let’s take a look at the highlights and lowlights for the upcoming season.

Nationally televised games

After a disappointing 3-12-1 season, it’s not overly surprising that the Lions were not awarded any primetime television games. In fact, the only regular-season game that will be nationally televised is on Thanksgiving day against the Houston Texans. Thankfully it’s not the Chicago Bears for the third season in a row.

The Lions do have two late in the season flex games in Week 15 (at Tennessee Titans) and Week 16 (versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) that could get pushed into the national spotlight if both teams are playing well and have potential playoff implications.

If one of the two games does get flexed, the early money has to be on the Week 16 game, as the Bucs, with a ton of offensive talent and Tom Brady in the fold, are expected to make for great television.

Additionally, if you’re looking for a bright spot, the Lions will have a pre-season nationally televised game on Thursday, August, 20th at home against the New York Jets at 8:00 PM EST on ESPN.

Lions have an early BYE Week …again

The Lions BYE week will be in Week 5 for the second conservative season. This marks the fourth season in a row where the Lions have had to take their BYE week in the first half of their schedule as they had a BYE Week in Week 6 in 2018 and Week 7 in 2017.

Away early, home late

The Lions open up their schedule at home against the Bears, but after Week 1, they will only host one other home game (versus the New Orleans Saints) over the next six weeks of the season.

One of the benefits of traveling early on in the season is there will be a lot of home cooking down the stretch. Four of the Lions final six games will be in the friendly confines of Ford Field, ending the season with back-to-back home games against the Bucs (Week 16) and Minnesota Vikings (Week 17).

Positive weather games

Players are always concerned about where they will play games late in the year hoping for better weather and this year Lions players surely happy with this outcome.

Of the games the Lions play after Thanksgiving, only Week 13 (December 6) at Chicago could be problematic. After that, three of the final four games are in the comfy dome of Ford Field, while their late December away game is in Tennessee, where the weather typically sits at 49-degrees and rarely drops below 33-degrees throughout the month.

Opponents 2019 record

The 2019 record of the Lions opponents is 103-104-1, which doesn’t seem terrible, but when you factor in the Lions play their division opponents twice that number goes up to 134-121-1. Less fun.

Spinning this back to the positive, when looking at the 134-121-1 record, the majority of those wins will be traveling to Ford Field. The records of the Lions home opponents was 71-57, meaning the Lions will get their tougher opponents (on average) at home while having to face teams on the road who had a collective record of 63-64-1 last year.

It’s not always about who teams face, but also when and where.

[vertical-gallery id=43365]

Here is the full Detroit Lions schedule for the 2020 season

Here is the full Detroit Lions schedule for the 2020 season.

The NFL revealed the full league schedule for the 2020 season. We already knew which teams the Lions were set to play in the upcoming season, and now we know the order and dates/times for each of the team’s 16 games.

Here is the Detroit Lions schedule for the 2020 season:

Date/Time Opponent Home/Away 2019 record
Week 1 Sept. 13, 1:00 PM Chicago Bears HOME 8-8
Week 2 Sept. 20, 1:00 PM Green Bay Packers Away 13-3
Week 3 Sept. 27, 4:25 PM Arizona Cardinals Away 5-10
Week 4 Oct. 4, 1:00 PM New Orleans Saints HOME 13-3
Week 5 Oct. 11 BYE
Week 6 Oct. 18, 1:00 PM Jacksonville Jaguars Away 6-10
Week 7 Oct. 25, 1:00 PM Atlanta Falcons Away 7-9
Week 8 Nov. 1, 1:00 PM Indianapolis Colts HOME 7-9
Week 9 Nov. 8, 1:00 PM Minnesota Vikings Away 10-6
Week 10 Nov. 15, 1:00 PM Washington Redskins HOME 3-13
Week 11 Nov. 22, 1:00 PM Carolina Panthers Away 5-11
Week 12 Nov. 26, 12:30 PM Houston Texans HOME 10-6
Week 13 Dec. 6, 1:00 PM Chicago Bears Away 8-8
Week 14 Dec. 13, 1:00 PM Green Bay Packers HOME 13-3
Week 15 Dec. 19/20, TBD Tennessee Titans Away 9-7
Week 16 Dec. 26/27, TBD Tampa Bay Buccaneers HOME 7-9
Week 17 Jan. 3, 1:00 PM Minnesota Vikings HOME 10-6

[vertical-gallery id=43365]

Report: First 4 weeks of 2020 NFL schedule will be AFC vs. NFC games

The report means the Detroit Lions would play their first 4 games against the teams from the AFC South

A report from longtime NFL reporter John Clayton indicates the NFL is hedging its bets a bit with the 2020 schedule. When the official schedule is fully released on Thursday night, the first four weeks of games for every team will feature nonconference matchups.

For the Detroit Lions, that means playing against teams from the AFC. Like the rest of the NFC North, the Lions will face the four teams in the AFC South as the only nonconference foes on the slate.

The Lions are slated to play at the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans while being home for visits from the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. The exact order of those games is still unknown, but expect those to be the first four games on the Detroit schedule later this year.

Lions will not play in London in 2020

The Lions were likely to play the Jaguars in London in 2020 but the NFL has canceled the international games this year

The NFL will reveal the full 2020 schedule of games later this week, but there is a little less mystery around one of the dates on the Detroit Lions schedule. On Monday, the NFL confirmed the reports that there will be no international games played in 2020.

The Lions were a likely foe for the Jaguars in one of that team’s two dedicated London games. Detroit was one of three Jaguars opponents (along with Cleveland and Miami) poised to make the trip to England over a two-week period when the Jaguars were scheduled to remain across the pond and host games on consecutive weekends. Those games will now be played in Jacksonville.

Detroit last played abroad in 2015.