Game we’re most convinced is a win
The Lions 2026 schedule dropped and we already know how this goes. We scan through 17 games looking for the sure things, the games that feel safe, the ones where we can actually exhale for three hours on a Sunday. And yes, I know what you’re thinking. There are no sure things in the NFL, especially not for a franchise that has perfected the art of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
But here we are anyway, trying to find that one game where we can confidently pencil in a W without our hands shaking.
The consensus favorite? Week 5 in Arizona against the Cardinals. And honestly, it makes sense. The Cardinals are a mess right now with Jacoby Brissett sitting out due to his contract, which means they might be rolling with rookie Carson Beck under center. Drew Petzing gets his revenge game against his old team, and Arizona could easily be staring at an 0-4 start by the time we roll into town.
It’s the kind of setup that screams trap game for lesser teams. But Dan Campbell has consistently kept this group locked in during these exact situations. The man does not let his team sleepwalk through opponents, no matter how overmatched they look on paper.
Then there’s the Week 3 home game against the Jets. Aaron Glenn’s return to Ford Field with a Jets team that, let’s be honest, is still a disaster. They gutted their defense, their offense looks terrible on paper, and Glenn is walking into a full foundational rebuild that’s going to take time. Sorry, coach, but you might get the Ben Johnson treatment when you come back to Detroit.
The dark horse pick is Week 1 at home against New Orleans. Dan Campbell facing his former team with the home crowd fired up for the season opener. The Saints spent their offseason paying $146 million to guard David Edwards, running back Travis Etienne Jr., and linebacker Kaden Ellis. Not exactly the kind of moves that scream playoff contender.
Look, we’ve been hurt before. We know how this franchise can turn a sure thing into a heart attack. But if we’re being honest about which game feels most like a lock, Arizona in Week 5 checks all the boxes. Overmatched opponent, good timing in the schedule, and a coaching staff that knows how to prepare for these situations.
Of course, watch us somehow find a way to lose by three on a missed field goal. Because that’s how we roll in Detroit.
Which game are you circling as the most obvious W, or are you too scarred by decades of Lions football to believe in sure things anymore? Let me know in the comments.
