Lions 2026 Schedule Drop and Early Predictions

Can the Lions take advantage of an "easy" schedule?

Information sourced from: Detroit Lions Official X Account, ESPN

The Lions 2026 schedule has dropped. While the schedule doesn’t mean everything, it certainly has some bearing on the outcome of a season. Just think about it, a difficult game coming at the wrong time of year can be the difference between a team having a playoff berth or them watching the playoffs from their couch. According to strength of schedule predictions the Lions have the easiest schedule in the NFL. Let’s take some time and break down the schedule and make some early predictions on if the Lions can take advantage of their schedule.

Special thanks to Silver & Blues contributor MCBC for talking through each game with me, helping me get my thoughts out, and pointing out where I had missed something.

Week One - New Orleans Saints - Home

The Saints have struggled in years past. While there are some analysts that seem to think they have turned a corner, and that they have their franchise quarterback in the building. I am not one of them. I believe the Lions are without question the more complete team, and no combination of Tyler Shough, Zach Wilson, and Spencer Rattler is going to convince me otherwise. The Lions also have a great home advantage. Give me the Lions in this one.

Week Two - Buffalo Bills - Away

The Buffalo Bills are a tough matchup no matter which way you hash it. Yes, they do have a new head coach. However this is not the only change at play here. The Buffalo Bills will also be breaking in their new stadium in primetime. Add in the Lions short turnaround for a Thursday night game. I simply think that the cards are stacked against the Lions in this one: Give me the Buffalo Bills.

Week Three - New York Jets - Home

The prodigal son Aaron Glenn returns to Detroit against a well rested Lions team. I will say that I believe the Jets have a good possibility of taking a step in the right direction this year. Perhaps they will start their launch into being a competitive team. However, there is not enough there to overcome the Lions talent and homefield advantages. Give me the Lions.

Week Four - Carolina Panthers - Away

I think most people would agree with me when I say that the Panthers are ascending. With young players like Bryce Young, Tetaiora McMillian, and Ikem Ekwomu they likely have a bit more to grow yet. However the Lions are also young, and have more proven talent than the Panthers do. Give me the Lions.

Week Five - Arizona Cardinals - Away

The Cardinals lost their previous franchise quarterback to free agency (for better, or for worse). While they have plenty of capable talent on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, you have to score points in order to win. I don’t see the combination of Jacoby Brisset, Gardner Minshew, and Carson Beck providing those points. I truly think that the Lions new OC Drew Petzing was a lot of the reason Jacoby did as well as he did last year with the Cardinals. Give me the Lions.

Week Six - Bye Week

The Lions get an early bye. I never like early bye weeks. I always find myself pining for an extra week for players to get healthy down the stretch. Perhaps the changes the Lions have made will help them stay healthy down the stretch, but I still would prefer this come later.

Week Seven - Green Bay Packers - Home

Am I the only one who seems to think that the Packers lost more than they gained this offseason thus far? I am just not seeing this plan work out for them. However, I also know that the Lions have historically played poorly coming out of the bye under Dan Campbell. I unfortunately think the rust overcomes the Lions here, and they are handed their first home loss of the season. Give me the (*gulp*) Packers.

Week Eight - Minnesota Vikings - Home

I also don’t see what the Vikings are doing. The loss of Jonathan Greenard is a big one. I am not a Kyler Murray fan. Who knows what is going to happen with JJ McCarthy. Aaron Jones is at the ripe old running-back age of thirty one. TJ Hockenson has not looked the same as of late. Want me to go on? The Lions roar back into form at home. Give me the Lions.

Week Nine - Miami Dolphins - Away

The Dolphins are in full blown rebuild mode. Tua is gone, and I don’t see Malik Willis as more than a high end backup quarterback. Now don’t get me wrong, they got some nice pieces in the draft. I am higher on Max Llewelyn than most, and think he may end up starting on one side or the other by the end of the season. However, I don’t see them being very good this year. Give me the Lions.

Week Ten - New England Patriots - Home (Munich, Germany)

The Patriots have been ascending as of late. I know, I know, the news that is floating around about Vrabel hasn’t been great. However, with the type of culture the Patriots have historically had, I don’t think that moves the needle. This is a very hard game. The Lions are on the road even though this is a “home” game. This is a hard one. I think there will be a good fan turnout too given St. Brown’s connection to Germany. This is a coin flip, so I flipped a coin and it came up in favor of the Lions. Give me the Lions.

Week Eleven - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Home

The Buccaneers and Lions have always fought each other hard as of late. Last year when the LIons played the Buccaneers it came down to how the “Legion of Whom” performed, and they were up for the task. Kelvin Sheppard has an arguably better group of defensive backs this year, though the injuries to Branch and Kerby leave question marks. I think this game will come down to the defensive back play of the Lions. To me this is another coin flip, and this time the Lions come out on the wrong side of the coin. Give me the Buccaneers.

Week Twelve - Chicago Bears - Home (Thanksgiving)

The Lions have not performed well on Thanksgiving as of late. Last year the Lions had the Bears number. The season is getting close to the home stretch here and the Lions are going to want to show they can not only perform on Thanksgiving, but that Drew Petzing can call an offense that will rival Ben Johnson’s. The Lions deliver for the Home crowd and eat turkey legs on national television. Give me the Lions.

Week Thirteen - Atlanta Falcons - Away

The Falcons are building something, and I think they might be on their way back to being a consistently good team. We may know this for sure by week thirteen. However, I still think that the Lions are the more complete team at this point. Give me the Lions.

Week Fourteen - Tennessee Titans - Home

I just don’t see what the Titans are building. When you look at some teams that have been on the lower end of the spectrum as of late, you can see what they are trying to do clearly. I don’t see it here, I really don’t. I think this is an easy win. Give me the Lions.

Week Fifteen - Minnesota Vikings - Away

While I do think that the Vikings are not going to be great this year (in fact I think they will be firmly at the bottom of the division), I think that home field advantage will play a big part in this game. The gap between contending in this league and not contending in this league is a slim one. I think the Vikings and Lions split. Give me the Vikings.

Week Sixteen - New York Giants - Home

The Giants have a new head coach, and time will only tell if this marriage between John Harbaugh and the Giants is a good thing. We are getting down the stretch and the Lions are going to feel the pressure to finish strong. The Giants will be playing in a new system, and it’s hard to remember a time where Harbaugh wasn’t a Raven. This one is hard to say, but give me the Lions due to home field advantage.

Week Seventeen - Chicago Bears - Away

The Bears are a good team. Ben Johnson has built something good in Chicago. What I thought at first was Ben just trying to mimic Dan has turned into something that the league respects. Ben Johnson is not mimicking, I think his players would have sniffed that out by now. Caleb Wiliams also has a ton of tools. While the Lions have had the Bears number as I stated above, I’m giving this one once again to home field advantage. Give me the Bears.

Week Eighteen - Green Bay Packers - Away

The bitter cold of Lambeau is upon us once again in week eighteen. However, coming off a stinging loss against the Bears, the Lions are motivated to end the season on a positive note and roar into the playoffs. The Lions win in convincing fashion, and bring their record to twelve and five. I believe this will not only be good enough to make the playoffs, but to clinch the NFC North. Raise the banner high my friends. I predict the Lions are NFC North champions, and are hot heading into the post season.

The more I think about it, the more I think this schedule is deceivingly dangerous. Do I think this could be the reality of what happens? Absolutely. However the amount of “coin flips” I saw makes this easy to tilt either way. I have confidence in the changes the Lions have made though, and I stand by my prediction that they will be NFC North champions.