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The Detroit Lions will be learning their 2020 schedule like the rest of the NFL on Thursday, and when they get it, what type of difficulty will they face within?
Most know the inherent difficulty the team will face within their own division, but how about from the schedule as a whole? Recently, CBS Sports looked at breaking down every team’s schedule from the hardest in the league to the easiest. Theoretically, the Lions should be sitting in a favorable spot as it relates to next season given the teams they will play.
The site and writer Jared Dubin used over-under totals from opponents to rank the 2020 schedule. What he found when it came to Detroit was a team that will have one of the easier schedules in the league this coming season. The Lions have one of the lower opponent strength of schedules in the league, which leads them to have a fairly easy schedule.
As a whole, the schedule is the 7th easiest in football for 2020. That, combined with the upgrades the Lions have made and a hopeful return to health might put even more pressure on Matt Patricia and company to have a successful season and win bigger than they have.
Naturally, even the worst of teams from 2019 have improved, so while the schedule might seem a bit lighter now, that’s not always how it works out when the games begin.
Lions Won’t Travel Internationally For 2020
Another schedule advantage for Detroit in 2020 figures to be travel. While the Lions and the rest of the league wait for the schedule release, one trip they will not make is to London. The Lions were likely to head there to play a team, most likely the Jacksonville Jaguars, but that trip won’t be happening now according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The league did indeed put a moratorium on international travel for the 2020 season.
Detroit will soon learn their schedule, and it now appears as if there won’t be an international game this year for the fans to look forward to. At the very least, that won’t mean a massive disruption to the team’s travel plans or jet lag from a long trip overseas.
Lions Opponents for 2020 Finalized
When it comes to what teams the Lions will play next season, things are known already even though the team’s schedule has not been released. Detroit finished last in the NFC North, and as a result they will play a last place schedule. The Lions will also play the AFC South and NFC South next season, in addition to their battles against every team in their division both home and away.
Here’s a look at what is known about their schedule at this point in time in terms of the teams they will play and some of the locations courtesy of FBSchedules.com
Home/away Green Bay Packers
Home/away Chicago Bears
Home/away Minnesota Vikings
@ Jacksonville Jaguars
@ Tennessee Titans
vs. Houston Texans
vs. Indianapolis Colts
@ Carolina Panthers
@ Atlanta Falcons
vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
vs. New Orleans Saints
vs. Washington Redskins
@ Arizona Cardinals
The full schedule reveal including time, dates and locations will come this Thursday night.
Lions 2020 Schedule Difficulty
The Lions have been no stranger to playing a last place schedule lately. Just this season it happened for the team after they went 6-10 in 2018. Prior to that, the Lions had played a much better schedule given their higher finish from 2017, but were not able to capitalize. Detroit has found life just as difficult with an easier schedule, and will once again have that to deal with in 2020.
The Lions schedule strength might be easier, but it will still be interesting to see how they handle a very important season on the field.
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Lions 2020 NFL Schedule Strength Officially Revealed