Tag: Detroit Lions schedule

Dan Campbell believes the tight battle for the NFC’s No. 1 seed is great for his Lions

Campbell said, “I think it’s great for us. I think it does, it keeps you sharp.”

The Detroit Lions are off to the best start in franchise history. Their 12-1 record has the Lions posited as the NFC’s best team, the No. 1 seed through Week 14.

Alas, there is little breathing room. The Philadelphia Eagles are 11-2 and haven’t lost since September. Within the NFC North, Minnesota is also 11-2 and not looking like an adversary that will simply fade away from Detroit.

It makes for a stressful perch at the top of the conference in the quest for the coveted first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Well, stressful for some, anyway.

Not Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

“I love it,” Campbell said Wednesday of the close competition. “I think it’s great. I think it’s great for us. I think it does, it keeps you sharp. I’ve mentioned this before, I think we do well with pressure and it’s the right kind of friction and stress that we need and it’s motivating.”

Campbell continued, clearly enjoying the battle for supremacy.

“So, yeah, I love it, I think it’s great, Look, nobody’s going to lose, nobody’s losing, so we’re going.”

In Week 15, the Lions host the 10-3 Buffalo Bills. At the same time on Sunday afternoon, the Eagles host the 10-3 Pittsburgh Steelers. Minnesota hosts the 4-9 Chicago Bears, losers of seven in a row, on Monday night.

Lions face tough road through the remaining schedule into the playoffs

Looking ahead, the Detroit Lions face a tough road through the remaining schedule into the playoffs

While currently sitting on the top of the NFC, the Lions next 10 weeks are the second toughest in the league. The combined record of Detroit’s remaining opponents sits at 47- 30, and only Chicago’s opponents have a higher win total.

Green Bay Packers (5-2) – Nov. 3 and Dec. 5

The division rivals have not met yet in the 2024 season and are fighting for the number one spot in the division. For the Packers, it has not been announced if starting quarterback Jordan Love will be able to play on Nov. 3 as he suffered a groin injury in last week’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Along with that, Green Bay is coming off of their worst defensive performance of the year and are about to face the hottest offense in the league after a 52-point showing. That being said, the Packers can never be counted out and have been a scrappy team all season.

Houston Texans (6-2) – Nov. 10

The Texans had a monster offseason, bringing in offensive weapons such as Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon for the sophomore quarterback sensation C.J. Stroud. That being said, so far Houston’s offense has been underwhelming, causing the Texans to find themselves in tight games all season. Luckily, their defense has been on the rise and will prove a very tall task for the Lions. If the Houston defense holds, an offense that has had no problems might be in trouble.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)- Nov. 17

The only team the Lions have left to face who currently have a losing record. The Jaguars have had a rough season but are starting to rebound, almost beating Green Bay last week. That being said, Jacksonville has one of the worst defenses in football, as throughout the season the Jaguars have allowed 26 touchdowns, the second-worst in the league. With Detroit’s offense on fire and a struggling defense, it might get ugly at Ford Field.

Indianapolis Colts (4-4)- Nov. 24

The Lions will travel to Indianapolis to take on another AFC South opponent in the Indianapolis Colts. The big question for the game is who will be playing quarterback for Indianapolis, as the young Anthony Richardson has been benched for the veteran Joe Flacco. The move will hopefully help a struggling offense that will be needed to beat the Lions. One thing Detroit will also have to keep in mind is that despite the struggles, the Colts find a way to keep games close as none of their games have been separated by more than 6 points.

Chicago Bears (4-3)- Nov. 28 and Dec. 22

Detroit still has not seen the new and improved Bears team and they will have to do it twice near the end of the season. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and a stellar defense has made them into a competitor in the toughest division in football. The biggest thing to watch in both of the matchups is which side of the ball was better. If its defense, Chicago gets the upper hand, while if its offense, the Lions do.

Buffalo Bills (6-2)- Dec. 15

If there is one game the Lions defense needs to circle on their schedule it’s against the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo’s lowest point total for a game throughout the year has been 20, while their highest has been 47. The matchup has the chance to become a shootout between two of the NFL’s best offenses and quarterbacks, but if the Lions stop them with their defense, they may just become the undisputed Superbowl favorites.

San Francisco 49ers (4-4)- Dec. 30

The NFC Championship game rematch may look a little different for the 49ers, as they have been plagued by injuries all season long. Notable injured players include the current NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Christian McCaffrey, who has not played a game so far throughout the season, and star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who tore his ACL two weeks ago. Due to the injuries, San Francisco has not looked like themselves. Mix in a Detroit team hungry to get revenge, and the 49ers have a large challenge ahead.

Minnesota Vikings (5-2)- Jan. 5

Last time the two teams played, the Vikings came into the game undefeated and walked out with their first loss of the season by two points. For the final game of the season, Minnesota looks to bounce back. The Vikings have now seen how the Lions play and will have to patch up what killed them the first time around, the passing game. The game may also become the NFC North championship, depending on how both teams’ records turn out. Overall, the matchup between the two division rivals is always a toss-up, and it does not change here.

The Detroit Lions 2024 regular season schedule

The Detroit Lions 2024 regular season schedule game-by-game

The Detroit Lions are the defending NFC North champions entering the 2024 season. As the first-place team from 2023, the Lions earned a first-place schedule for the first time since the NFL switched to six divisions.

The Lions open their 2024 slate with a wild card round rematch against the Los Angeles Rams. It’s the Sunday Night Football opener and will be one of nine home games for Detroit in Ford Field.

Here’s the Lions’ complete 2024 schedule for the regular season:

Week Date Opponent Time (ET)
1 Sept. 8 vs. Rams 8:20 p,m,* Tickets
2 Sept. 15 vs. Buccaneers 1 p.m. Tickets
3 Sept. 22 at Cardinals 4:25 p.m. Tickets
4 Sept. 30 vs. Seahawks 8:20 p.m.* Tickets
5 BYE Week
6 Oct. 13 at Cowboys 4:25 p.m. Tickets
7 Oct. 20 at Vikings 1 p.m. Tickets
8 Oct. 27 vs. Titans 1 p.m. Tickets
9 Nov. 3 at Packers 4:25 p.m. Tickets
10 Nov. 10 at Texans 8:20 p.m.* Tickets
11 Nov. 17 vs. Jaguars 1 p.m. Tickets
12 Nov. 24 at Colts 1 p.m. Tickets
13 Nov. 28 vs. Bears 12:30 p.m. Tickets
14 Dec. 5 vs. Packers 8:15 p.m* Tickets
15 Dec. 15 vs. Bills 4:25 p.m. Tickets
16 Dec. 22 at Bears 1 p.m. Tickets
17 Dec. 30 at 49ers 8:15 p.m.* Tickets
18 tbd vs. Vikings tbd Tickets

*prime-time game

2024 NFL offseason calendar for Lions fans

The key dates and events Lions fans need to know for the offseason

The Lions’ offseason started back on January 8, 2023, but this year it ends on January 28.

The journey this team is on was way ahead of schedule for someone rebuilding. For this team to be here so quickly, an NFC Championship, it speaks to how well the front office and coaching staff are working together. That isn’t common for most teams to have such unison, Lions fans are lucky for once it appears.

The show goes on, however, and that means looking ahead to key dates on the offseason calendar. The NFL Draft and all the events leading up to them are already around the corner. This is your ultimate guide to the offseason and all the dates needed to follow.

49ers edge Packers, will host NFC Championship game

49ers edge Packers, will host NFC Championship game even if the Lions beat the Buccaneers

It was hard not to dream about the Detroit Lions hosting the NFC Championship game as the postseason rolled into the second weekend. Sure, two outcomes had to happen first — most notably the Lions beating the Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon.

Dream another dream, that dream is over before the Lions even played. That’s because the San Francisco 49ers held off the Green Bay Packers in a very close game on Saturday night. Niners LB Dre Greenlaw picked off Packers QB Jordan Love for the second time of the game on Green Bay’s final drive, sealing a 24-21 comeback win in Santa Clara.

Because the 49ers are the top seed, they will host the NFC Championship game next Sunday no matter who wins the Lions-Buccaneers game. The Lions host Tampa Bay for the right to move on and play for a shot to get into the Super Bowl.

NFL wild card Monday and its impact on the Lions

NFL wild card Monday and its impact on the Lions and their next playoff game

The Detroit Lions after 31 years are now looking ahead to the divisional round of the playoffs. With that comes the eagerness to know who the Lions will host for another home playoff game and on Monday night they will have that answer.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills are done playing in the snow, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles will face off. We know the winner of that, based on earlier results, will be who the Lions play host to. To go even further, the time and viewing place is also already in place, with it taking place at 3:00 PM EST on NBC.

The Lions will get a full week’s rest with no change to the schedule they carry most of the year from Monday to Sunday.

The impact of the full week being in play should allow for Sam LaPorta to continue to rehab from his knee injury. The rookie tight end played against the Rams on was able to make what would be the last and most important touchdown of the game.

One last important note: the last matchup the Lions had with the Buccaneers came in Week 6 of this season. They won 20-6, with Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown leading the way for the entire team. Their last matchup with the Eagles came in 2022 during the opening week of the season. They lost that game 38-35, but it took the Eagles to make a game-winning field goal to knock them out.

Either way, next week’s game is going to be another one for the ages.

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Lions home and away opponents are set for the 2024 regular season

The exact sequence of games and dates/times won’t come out for a few months, but here is who the Lions will play in 2024.

The end of the 2023 regular season isn’t the end of Detroit Lions football, a very welcome change. But the NFC North champion Lions do get to look ahead a bit at who Detroit will face in the 2024 regular season.

Next year’s opponents for home and the road are now set. They’re based on the final standings from this past regular season and the inter-divisional matchup rotation. The Lions finished first in the NFC North, so they get a first-place schedule in 2024.

The exact sequence of games and dates/times won’t come out for a few months, but here is who the Lions will play in 2024.

 

Lions vs. Rams will be Sunday night feature game in the wild card round

Lions vs. Rams will be Sunday night feature game in the wild card round

The Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams will meet in the featured time slot of the wild card round weekend. The much-anticipated game will be played on Sunday night in prime time.

The NFL spans six games over the course of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday night. The first-ever postseason game in Ford Field will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock with an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.

The three AFC games will be played first, followed by the NFC games. The Lions and Rams are the middle game of the NFC slate. The Eagles and Buccaneers game is on Monday night.

Lions schedule set for the Week 18 matchup with the Vikings

Lions schedule set for the Week 18 matchup with the Vikings

The NFL doesn’t set dates or times for the final weekend of action until the Week 17 action concludes. When the Packers domination of the Vikings was near its merciful end on Sunday night, the league released the full slate for Week 18.

The Lions will host the Vikings in Ford Field at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 7th. With the Lions locked into the No. 3 seed, barring losses by the Cowboys and Eagles, and the Vikings in need of considerable assistance to sneak into the No. 7 seed in the NFC, their Week 18 finale isn’t deemed one of the games worthy of juicier time slots on Saturday or Sunday.

Last year, the Lions prevented the Packers from making the playoffs with a win in Green Bay in the final regular season game of the 2022 season.

The Lions have now swept two different divisions in 2023

The Lions have now swept two different divisions in 2023 after beating the Broncos in Week 15

Saturday night’s win over the Denver Broncos completed quite a feat for the Detroit Lions. The 42-17 win gave them victories over all four teams in the AFC West division this year: Chiefs, Chargers, Raiders and now the Broncos.

It is the second divisional sweep of the season for the Lions. Detroit previously capped off a four-game blanking of the NFC South. The Lions scored victories over the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints, who they knocked off in New Orleans in Week 13 to wrap up that divisional sweep.

There isn’t a banner or anything for pulling off such a feat, but that could come next Sunday.

The 10-4 Lions can clinch the NFC North division title in Week 16 when they face the Minnesota Vikings for the first of two meetings in the final three weeks with the current second-place Vikings. Minnesota fell to 7-7 with an overtime loss to Cincinnati earlier on Saturday, the Vikings’ third loss in four games.