The Detroit Lions’ schedule for 2026 has officially dropped. If Detroit wants to improve upon their 9-8 season from the year prior, they need to not only win the easy games, but also win those toss-ups against tough foes and divisional opponents.
While the Lions benefit on paper from a fourth-place schedule, winning in the NFL is no easy task. Pre-summer expectations go out the window once the regular season rolls around—what looks like an easy schedule in May could materialize into a gauntlet by
season’s end.
Let’s examine their slate of games to see which ones should be cakewalks and which ones could pose a significant challenge.
17: vs. New York Jets (Week 3)
While 2026 should be less of a train wreck for the Jets, they nonetheless remain one of the worst teams in the NFL and should be easy pickings for the Lions. There’s the added bonus that the Lions are playing them at home and early in the season—if the Jets are going to turn things around, it won’t happen this early. If anything, I wish that this was a road game in order to give Detroit a tougher opponent at home instead.
16: at Miami Dolphins (Week 9)
Is Malik Willis enough to turn around a barren Dolphins team? I think not, but stranger things have happened before. As it stands, this should be a dominant victory for Detroit. A road game in Miami in November should yield modest temperatures as well. Unless De’Von Achane runs away with the game, this is a very winnable matchup for Detroit.
15: vs. Tennessee Titans (Week 14)
Normally, I would rank a late-season game as a tougher matchup, as there is a higher likelihood of missing key starters. That being said, even a depleted Lions roster should outclass the Titans, barring a massive step forward from Cam Ward and company under new head coach Robert Saleh. I do think their defense could be sneakily good, however.
14: at Arizona Cardinals (Week 5)
With Jeremiyah Love, Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, and Tyler Allgeier, the Cardinals have a fair number of weapons on offense that could scare the Lions defense. However, they have a major question mark at quarterback. I doubt that Jacoby Brissett is the answer, and it might take longer than Week 5 for Carson Beck to get a shot—even then, the rookie slid to the third round for a reason.
13: at Carolina Panthers (Week 4)
The Panthers made the playoffs last season, but it was due to a paltry NFC South division resulting in an 8-9 team winning the crown. They lost one of their few spark plugs in Rico Dowdle to free agency, meaning that the offense will have to be carried by Bryce Young and Tetairoa McMillan. McMillan has promise, but time is running out on Young to show that he is more than a middling quarterback.
12: at Atlanta Falcons (Week 13)
Much like the Cardinals, the Falcons have a ton of offensive weapons but significant issues at quarterback. Unless one of Michael Penix or Tua Tagovailoa can run demonstrate some reliability, they may be a team forced to rely on the playmakers around them. Unlike the Cardinals, I think they can survive with subpar quarterback play thanks to Bijan Robinson, who can and will single-handedly carry that offense.
11: vs. New York Giants (Week 16)
The Lions draw the Giants for a late-season “Monday Night Football” tilt. While it seems like an easy victory for the Lions in May, a John Harbaugh-led Giants team could look significantly different by season’s end. For as bad as the Giants looked last season, the bulk of it can be placed on Brian Daboll at head coach and injuries to Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo. With Arvell Reese added to an already dangerous pass rush, they could be a team that outperforms low expectations.
10: vs. New Orleans Saints (Week 1)
My hot take is that the Saints should run away with the NFC South title this season. Sure, that might not mean much when the Panthers won it with a losing record last year, but I genuinely think they have a high ceiling. Tyler Shough was quietly great in his rookie season, while the offense has only gotten better with the additions of Travis Etienne and Jordyn Tyson—the Saints defense is decent as well. A Week 1 home game is favorable for the Lions, who get to face a team that might not have found their groove yet.
9: vs. Minnesota Vikings (Week 8)
We start to get into NFC North matchups. Of the six games Detroit is slated to play against their division foes, I think this Week 8 home game against Minnesota is their most favorable. The Vikings are shaping up to be the worst team in the division, but these games are always competitive. Their success will hinge on quarterback play, which is a massive unknown entering the season. The week after this is against Miami, so the Lions will surely be focused on this tilt.
8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 11)
Looking just at team composition, the Buccaneers would have been ranked as an easier opponent—I think Detroit matches up well against Baker Mayfield and friends. However, the Lions have the unfortunate task of facing Tampa Bay immediately after their game in Munich, Germany. There is a very real chance that the Lions are still in recovery mode, both due to the time zone and having battled the New England Patriots. A home game makes this more palatable, at least. Oh, but guess what? The Buccaneers are entering this game off their own bye as well.
7: vs. Green Bay Packers (Week 7)
The Lions have a Week 6 bye, meaning they will be well-rested for their game against the Packers at home. That being said, the Lions had one of their most disappointing outings last season following the bye. Due to the early nature of the bye, the Lions might not benefit from a week of recovery either, nor will they have identified many of their early season issues. An injured Micah Parsons could be back by Week 7 as well—a tough task for rookie Blake Miller.
6: at Minnesota Vikings (Week 15)
The first game in the Lions’ year-end gauntlet, playing at Minnesota on “Sunday Night Football” could result in a deafening crowd, especially if the Vikings are competitive. That is a big if, however, as the quarterback duo of Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy are about as wild as a wild card can get. That Vikings defense will forever give Detroit fits while Brian Flores is at the helm, however.
5: vs. Chicago Bears (Week 12)
Out of all the weeks to host Chicago, having it fall on Thanksgiving is a major disappointment. Sure, the Lions still get home field advantage, but having yet another NFC North rivalry battle on the holiday leads to a short week and little time to prepare. Chicago will be a very hyped up team entering the season, so the pressure will be on them to back up lofty preseason expectations. Worse yet, since this first matchup comes so late in the season, Chicago could be on a roll—they have the Saints and a bye in the two weeks prior.
4: at Chicago Bears (Week 17)
Chicago comes in back-to-back on my list. As the penultimate game of the regular season, both franchises could be making a playoff push, which makes this a road game a tough task for the Lions—plus, it could be a cold Chicago evening. I do think that Jared Goff has shaken the label of fair weather quarterback, but there is no question that this is a game you would rather face in warmer conditions. This could come down to a running back war.
3: at Green Bay Packers (Week 18)
If windy Chicago in January was bad enough, a road game in Green Bay to end the season is a frosty endeavor for Detroit. The Packers are notoriously pesky, and both teams have a history of playing spoiler for the other. Even if the Packers are out of contention at this point, it should be a hard-fought game. To add to the stakes, if the division is on the line, this is a game that could certainly be flexed into primetime.
2: vs. New England Patriots (Week 10 in Munich, Germany)
Putting aside the absurd fact that the Lions do not get a bye week before or after this game (the Patriots get a bye the following week, meanwhile), they are facing the Super Bowl runner-up, a tough task for any team. Do I think the Patriots were a bit of a fluke last season? Perhaps. Could they be distracted by the Mike Vrabel scandal? Perhaps. Do I think they will be a solid team despite all of this? Certainly. For Detroit, vacating a home game is bad enough, but the Patriots are a team in which the Lions would have loved to have had home field advantage. Considering New England has played in Germany before, there is a chance that the crowd favors them as well.
1: at Buffalo Bills (Week 2)
This draw is about as unfavorable as you can get: an early-season road game against a top team on “Thursday Night Football” and a short week. The Bills will be healthy and there will be little tape of their new offense under Joe Brady. Additionally, this will be the grand opening of the new Highmark Stadium, meaning the crowd could be electric. One could argue that the Bills could still be trying to find their footing with Brady, but having been the offensive coordinator since 2024, he is more than familiar with Josh Allen and that offense and he knows what makes it click. Much like the 2024 matchup, this could be an offense-heavy shootout where one or two mistakes turn the tide of the game.
