2026 Detroit Lions schedule: Rating all 17 video games by issue

The Detroit Lions’ schedule for 2026 has formally dropped. If Detroit needs to enhance upon their 9-8 season from the 12 months prior, they should not solely win the simple video games, but additionally win these toss-ups towards robust foes and divisional opponents.

While the Lions profit on paper from a fourth-place schedule, profitable within the NFL is not any straightforward activity. Pre-summer expectations exit the window as soon as the common season rolls round—what appears like a simple schedule in May might materialize right into a gauntlet by season’s finish.

Let’s look at their slate of video games to see which of them ought to be cakewalks and which of them might pose a big problem.

17: vs. New York Jets (Week 3)

While 2026 ought to be much less of a prepare wreck for the Jets, they nonetheless stay one of many worst groups within the NFL and ought to be straightforward pickings for the Lions. There’s the added bonus that the Lions are enjoying them at house and early within the season—if the Jets are going to show issues round, it received’t occur this early. If something, I want that this was a highway recreation with a purpose to give Detroit a harder opponent at house as an alternative.

16: at Miami Dolphins (Week 9)

Is Malik Willis sufficient to show round a barren Dolphins group? I believe not, however stranger issues have occurred earlier than. As it stands, this ought to be a dominant victory for Detroit. A highway recreation in Miami in November ought to yield modest temperatures as properly. Unless De’Von Achane runs away with the sport, it is a very winnable matchup for Detroit.

15: vs. Tennessee Titans (Week 14)

Normally, I might rank a late-season recreation as a harder matchup, as there’s a larger probability of lacking key starters. That being stated, even a depleted Lions roster ought to outclass the Titans, barring an enormous step ahead from Cam Ward and firm beneath new head coach Robert Saleh. I do suppose their protection might be sneakily good, nonetheless.

14: at Arizona Cardinals (Week 5)

With Jeremiyah Love, Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, and Tyler Allgeier, the Cardinals have a good variety of weapons on offense that might scare the Lions protection. However, they’ve a significant query mark at quarterback. I doubt that Jacoby Brissett is the reply, and it would take longer than Week 5 for Carson Beck to get a shot—even then, the rookie slid to the third spherical for a motive.

13: at Carolina Panthers (Week 4)

The Panthers made the playoffs final season, but it surely was on account of a paltry NFC South division leading to an 8-9 group profitable the crown. They misplaced considered one of their few spark plugs in Rico Dowdle to free company, that means that the offense should be carried by Bryce Young and Tetairoa McMillan. McMillan has promise, however time is working out on Young to point out that he’s greater than a middling quarterback.

12: at Atlanta Falcons (Week 13)

Much just like the Cardinals, the Falcons have a ton of offensive weapons however vital points at quarterback. Unless considered one of Michael Penix or Tua Tagovailoa can run display some reliability, they might be a group pressured to depend on the playmakers round them. Unlike the Cardinals, I believe they will survive with subpar quarterback play because of Bijan Robinson, who can and can 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 looks like a simple victory for the Lions in May, a John Harbaugh-led Giants group might look considerably totally different by season’s finish. For as dangerous because the Giants appeared final season, the majority of it may be positioned on Brian Daboll at head coach and accidents to Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo. With Arvell Reese added to an already harmful move rush, they might be a group that outperforms low expectations.

10: vs. New Orleans Saints (Week 1)

My scorching take is that the Saints ought to run away with the NFC South title this season. Sure, that may not imply a lot when the Panthers received it with a dropping report final 12 months, however I genuinely suppose they’ve a excessive ceiling. Tyler Shough was quietly nice in his rookie season, whereas the offense has solely gotten higher with the additions of Travis Etienne and Jordyn Tyson—the Saints protection is first rate as properly. A Week 1 house recreation is favorable for the Lions, who get to face a group that may not have discovered their groove but.

9: vs. Minnesota Vikings (Week 8)

We begin to get into NFC North matchups. Of the six video games Detroit is slated to play towards their division foes, I believe this Week 8 house recreation towards Minnesota is their most favorable. The Vikings are shaping as much as be the worst group within the division, however these video games are all the time aggressive. Their success will hinge on quarterback play, which is an enormous unknown getting into the season. The week after that is towards Miami, so the Lions will certainly be centered on this tilt.

8: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 11)

Looking simply at group composition, the Buccaneers would have been ranked as a better opponent—I believe Detroit matches up properly towards Baker Mayfield and mates. However, the Lions have the unlucky activity of dealing with Tampa Bay instantly after their recreation in Munich, Germany. There is a really actual probability that the Lions are nonetheless in restoration mode, each because of the time zone and having battled the New England Patriots. A house recreation makes this extra palatable, at the least. Oh, however guess what? The Buccaneers are getting into this recreation off their own bye as well.

7: vs. Green Bay Packers (Week 7)

The Lions have a Week 6 bye, that means they are going to be well-rested for his or her recreation towards the Packers at house. That being stated, the Lions had considered one of their most disappointing outings final season following the bye. Due to the early nature of the bye, the Lions may not profit from every week of restoration both, nor will they’ve recognized lots of their early season points. An injured Micah Parsons might be again by Week 7 as properly—a tricky activity for rookie Blake Miller.

6: at Minnesota Vikings (Week 15)

The first recreation within the Lions’ year-end gauntlet, enjoying at Minnesota on “Sunday Night Football” might lead to a deafening crowd, particularly if the Vikings are aggressive. That is a giant if, nonetheless, because the quarterback duo of Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy are about as wild as a wild card can get. That Vikings protection will perpetually give Detroit matches whereas Brian Flores is on the helm, nonetheless.

5: vs. Chicago Bears (Week 12)

Out of all of the weeks to host Chicago, having it fall on Thanksgiving is a significant disappointment. Sure, the Lions nonetheless get house subject benefit, however having one more NFC North rivalry battle on the vacation results in a brief week and little time to organize. Chicago might be a really puffed up group getting into the season, so the stress might be on them to again up lofty preseason expectations. Worse but, since this primary matchup comes so late within the season, Chicago might be on a roll—they’ve the Saints and a bye within the two weeks prior.

4: at Chicago Bears (Week 17)

Chicago is available in back-to-back on my checklist. As the penultimate recreation of the common season, each franchises might be making a playoff push, which makes this a highway recreation a tricky activity for the Lions—plus, it might be a chilly Chicago night. I do suppose that Jared Goff has shaken the label of honest climate quarterback, however there isn’t a query that it is a recreation you’ll quite face in hotter circumstances. This might come right down to a working again struggle.

3: at Green Bay Packers (Week 18)

If windy Chicago in January was dangerous sufficient, a highway recreation in Green Bay to finish the season is a frosty endeavor for Detroit. The Packers are notoriously pesky, and each groups have a historical past of enjoying spoiler for the opposite. Even if the Packers are out of rivalry at this level, it ought to be a hard-fought recreation. To add to the stakes, if the division is on the road, it is a recreation that might definitely be flexed into primetime.

2: vs. New England Patriots (Week 10 in Munich, Germany)

Putting apart the absurd undeniable fact that the Lions don’t get a bye week earlier than or after this recreation (the Patriots get a bye the next week, in the meantime), they’re dealing with the Super Bowl runner-up, a tricky activity for any group. Do I believe the Patriots had been a little bit of a fluke final season? Perhaps. Could they be distracted by the Mike Vrabel scandal? Perhaps. Do I believe they are going to be a stable group regardless of all of this? Certainly. For Detroit, vacating a house recreation is dangerous sufficient, however the Patriots are a group through which the Lions would have liked to have had house subject benefit. Considering New England has performed in Germany earlier than, there’s a probability that the gang favors them as properly.

1: at Buffalo Bills (Week 2)

This draw is about as unfavorable as you may get: an early-season highway recreation towards a high group on “Thursday Night Football” and a brief week. The Bills might be wholesome and there might be little tape of their new offense beneath Joe Brady. Additionally, this would be the grand opening of the brand new Highmark Stadium, that means the gang might be electrical. One might argue that the Bills might nonetheless be looking for their footing with Brady, however having been the offensive coordinator since 2024, he’s greater than aware of Josh Allen and that offense and he is aware of what makes it click on. Much just like the 2024 matchup, this might be an offense-heavy shootout the place one or two errors flip the tide of the sport.