Getty D'Andre Swift before a 2020 game vs. the Packers.
The Detroit Lions have finally learned their schedule for the 2021 season like the rest of the NFL, and the team has plenty of important trips, games and moments coming up in the fall.
Wednesday night, the schedule was officially revealed to the masses, and the Lions have seen their schedule made official for this coming season. There are plenty of tough battles on the horizon for the team as they get going on another year.
The latest Lions news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lions newsletter here!
Here’s a look at how the schedule shapes up:
Week 1: vs San Francisco 49ers 1 p.m.
Week 2: at Green Bay Packers (Monday Night Football) 8:15 p.m.
Week 3: vs Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m.
Week 4: at Chicago Bears 1 p.m.
Week 5: at Minnesota Vikings 1 p.m.
Week 6: vs Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m.
Week 7: at Los Angeles Rams 4:05 p.m.
Week 8: vs Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m.
Week 9: Bye
Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers 1 p.m.
Week 11: at Cleveland Browns 1 p.m.
Week 12: vs Chicago Bears (Thanksgiving Day) 12:30 p.m.
Week 13: vs Minnesota Vikings 1 p.m.
Week 14: at Denver Broncos 4:05 p.m.
Week 15: vs Arizona Cardinals 1 p.m.
Week 16: at Atlanta Falcons 1 p.m.
Week 17: at Seattle Seahawks 4:25 p.m.
Week 18: vs Green Bay Packers 1 p.m.
Obviously, it will be interesting to see what kind of record the team finishes with and if they can crack the postseason with a new roster.
Lions Offseason Recap
The Lions will be attacking this schedule with a brand new coaching staff, front office and team starting over at all of the key spots in the franchise. Brad Holmes came in and took over as general manager, and Dan Campbell was hired as coach. The duo traded Matthew Stafford and acquired Jared Goff, and have signed plenty of bargain bin free agents to help fill holes on the roster. Detroit’s coaching staff is full of former players, including Aaron Glenn, Anthony Lynn, Mark Brunell, Antwaan Randle-El and Duce Staley. This could have an impact on the mindset of the team. In the draft, the Lions landed Penei Sewell and what looks like the makings of a good foundational class for their rebuild.
Lions 2021 Schedule Looks Difficult
As for Detroit’s schedule next season, there will be several tough games throughout. In spite of the fact that the Lions finished in last place during 2020, their schedule still looks pretty treacherous. The AFC North is loaded and features three high-rising teams in the Browns, Steelers and Ravens to go with a team that could have a bright future in the Bengals. Other than that, the Lions will tangle with the NFC West, which is another stacked division. Obviously, it will be tough to quantify how difficult Detroit’s schedule might be without knowing more about when and where the games are played. Still, it’s tough not to think about the daunting nature of the battles that loom for Detroit, even as they have struggled.
Detroit has a changed team and a changed roster, and it’s possible with this reset, they could have a changed team as well. Even such, it’s tough not to look at the schedule and think about what kind of battles loom in the future.
Now, we know when those battles will come.
READ NEXT: Defensive Trouble Spot Cited Next Lions Free Agency Upgrade