The NFL Just Handed Detroit a Death March to End the Season
The schedule is out, and the league has made it crystal clear they believe in what Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes are building in Allen Park. Eight nationally televised games. Four primetime slots. A trip to Munich that screams we’re not the same old Lions anymore.
But holy hell, did the schedule makers decide to test just how much grit this team actually has.
That Final Stretch is Absolutely Brutal
Here’s the thing that jumps off the page and punches you in the throat: Detroit finishes the season with all three NFC North road games crammed into the final four weeks. At Vikings in Week 15. At Bears in Week 17. At Packers in Week 18.
That means potentially trudging through Lambeau and Soldier Field in January weather while fighting for playoff positioning. Meanwhile, all the home divisional games happen between Weeks 7 and 12, including the annual Thanksgiving beatdown of Chicago.
The early bye week in Week 6 doesn’t help either, especially with the Munich game still sitting out there in Week 10. Your legs are going to feel every snap of that closing stretch.
At Least They Got One Thing Right
The road trips to Buffalo and Carolina happen early when the weather is still manageable. Week 2 at Buffalo and Week 4 at Carolina means you’re not dealing with lake effect snow or whatever passes for winter in the Carolinas.
Smart scheduling there. We’ll take those small victories.
The Full Nightmare Schedule
Week 1: vs. Saints, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 2: at Bills, 8:15 p.m. (Prime Video)
Week 3: vs. Jets, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 4: at Panthers, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 5: at Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 6: BYE WEEK
Week 7: vs. Packers, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 8: vs. Vikings, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 9: at Dolphins, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 10: vs. Patriots, 9:30 a.m. (FOX) — Munich, Germany
Week 11: vs. Buccaneers, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 12: vs. Bears, 1 p.m. (CBS) — Thanksgiving
Week 13: at Falcons, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 14: vs. Titans, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Week 15: at Vikings, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 16: vs. Giants, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Week 17: at Bears, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 18: at Packers, TBD
The primetime games tell you everything about where this franchise sits right now. The closing stretch tells you everything about what it’s going to take to get where we want to go.
Is this schedule going to separate the pretenders from the contenders, or did the NFL just hand us another creative way to break our hearts? Let me know what you think below.
Honestly this schedule might be exactly what we need to prove we’re for real. Yeah that December stretch is gonna hurt but if this team is as tough as Dan Campbell keeps saying, then January weather in Green Bay and Chicago is where champions get made. I’m ready to see what these guys are made of.
I get the hype but let’s pump the brakes a little. The early bye in Week 6 with that Munich trip right after is awkward as hell, and I’m not convinced back to back road division games in January is the recipe for success we need. Holmes and Campbell know what they’re doing but even good teams stumble with scheduling like this.
The fact that we’re even getting this many primetime slots and the respect that comes with it is something I never thought I’d see in my lifetime. This schedule is brutal but you know what? I’d rather be tested like this than ignored. That’s how you know this organization is different now.