Getty Jared Goff waives as he comes out from tunnel vs. Packers in 2022.
The Detroit Lions have finally learned their 2022 schedule, and once again, it’s time to start pondering how exactly the games will play out.
Detroit is still in rebuilding mode and have flipped over the roster impressively in both the 2021 and 2022 offseason periods. While they may not have had much tangible success last year in terms of wins and losses, the case can be made that the team is building something for the long-haul. With a solid 2022 season and more improvement, that might only be seen as more of the case.
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Here’s a look at some predictions for the 2022 season for every game and the team’s final record when all is said and done. While many might be frustrated by the final numbers, it will be easy to see how the Lions have improved in the end.
Lions Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Win (1-0)
Detroit didn’t have the best time of it against Philadelphia last year losing 44-6, but the Eagles are a very average team in spite of the way they pounded Detroit in 2021. The Lions will get their season off to a hot start with a big win in the first game, and that will offer some revenge for one of their worst losses last year.
Lions Week 2: vs. Washington Commanders
Win (2-0)
The Lions might be one of the top stories of the season if they manage to start 2-0, and that’s what’s going to happen here, as they knock off their second-straight NFC East foe in as many weeks. The Commanders feel like an average team, and the Lions should be able to jump them with some positive home momentum left over from the first week of the year.
Lions Week 3: at Minnesota Vikings
Loss (2-1)
Detroit narrowly lost in Minnesota last year before upsetting the Vikings at home, so it’s not as if the team they will play is a juggernaut. This is a very winnable game for Detroit, but they aren’t there yet and will lose yet another close one within the division. The Lions taste a heartbreaker for the first time in 2022.
Lions Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Loss (2-2)
On paper, this is a game the Lions should win given Seattle’s changes and shortcomings for 2022. Still, it’s a game the Lions find a way to lose all too well through the years and it will happen again. Drew Lock will out-duel Jared Goff, and Detroit’s good start will have been completely erased.
Lions Week 5: at New England Patriots
Loss (2-3)
A tough road battle in Foxboro offers the Lions a chance at an early season measuring stick, but the team isn’t ready. Heading into the Week 6 bye, the Lions sustain another loss, and their season is a bit on the brink considering the schedule they will be slated to face in the coming weeks.
Lions Week 7: at Dallas Cowboys
Loss (2-4)
After the bye week, things don’t get any easier for the Lions, as they head to Dallas to take on a solid Cowboys team. Dallas has choked against the Lions head-to-head in the past, but isn’t going to happen in this game. The Cowboys win big and the Lions have lost four straight games, squandering a great start.
Lions Week 8: vs. Miami Dolphins
Loss (2-5)
Once again, a battle with Miami at home represents a game the Lions could win on paper, but the Dolphins have beefed up their offense and win a shootout against the Detroit defense who simply can’t hang on in this game. It’s tough to lose five straight, and the Lions will be feeling desperate by this point of the year.
Lions Week 9: vs Green Bay Packers
Loss (2-6)
There’s no rest for the weary Lions and the losses keep mounting. This time, it’s Green Bay giving it to the team. Aaron Rodgers isn’t going to sit out this game, and that means revenge for the loss the Packers took in 2022 in the season finale. After a good start, the Lions feel like they are back at square one.
Lions Week 10: at Chicago Bears
Win (3-6)
Finally, a win for the Lions to stem what has been an awful slide. Detroit uses their rivals in Chicago as a major slump buster, and it’s possible the Bears could be worse than Detroit in 2022. A loss in this game to a sliding Detroit team at home may only serve to prove that.
Lions Week 11: at New York Giants
Loss (3-7)
On paper, the Lions should beat a rebuilding team like the Giants, but the games aren’t played on paper and Detroit finds a way to lose this game to another team that might prove to be as bad or worse than them in 2022. Tough to lose games like this, but these will be the key contests the Lions will hope to flip if they want to be contenders in the future.
Lions Week 12: vs Buffalo Bills (Thanksgiving Day)
Loss (3-8)
No matter whether the Lions win or lose this game, it’s going to be a fun one on Thanksgiving Day for Detroit. The Bills are a great team, and are where the Lions want to be in a few more years. Buffalo wins, but Lions fans should take heart and take hope with their direction even as they take lumps. Maybe Detroit can become like Buffalo soon.
Lions Week 13: vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Win (4-8)
Another win for the Lions against a team they should beat at home. Last season, Detroit and Jacksonville competed for the top pick. The Lions might not be that bad this year, but a win might only hurt them in the draft standings if the Jaguars are not improved. Stay tuned.
Lions Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Loss (4-9)
The Lions have struggled with Minnesota in spite of beating them in 2021, and that continues here as the Vikings sweep the season series with a win late in the season. Games like this will be the ones Detroit has to learn to win to become a division contender, but again, the Lions aren’t there yet and are young.
Lions Week 15: at New York Jets
Loss (4-10)
An interesting game between a couple of solid young teams, Detroit comes up just a few plays short on the road, dropping their 10th game of the season to this point. The Jets’ rookies make just a few more plays than Detroit, but these rosters could each be seen as having major upside for the future.
Lions Week 16: at Carolina Panthers
Win (5-10)
Carolina feels like they could be trending toward bottoming out again, and if that’s the case, a hungry, improving Lions roster could quickly take advantage of them late in the season. Detroit gets another win to help in the push to be better for 2023 in downing the Panthers and perhaps ensuring they will have a high pick.
Lions Week 17: vs Chicago Bears
Win (6-10)
The Lions drill the woeful Bears again late in the season and score win number six of the year. This game will cement Chicago as perhaps the worst team in the division while the Lions do not finish in the basement. For progress sake in the future, that will be important to note.
Lions Week 18: at Green Bay Packers
Loss (6-11)
Playing on the road in Green Bay is tough enough, but when it happens in January, it’s even worse. Lambeau Field is sure to be frozen for this game, and the Lions will have to be tough to win like they did last year. Whether the Packers are resting anyone or not, this will be tough for Detroit. They don’t win the finale this time around.
Lions’ 2022 Record Prediction
6-11
Last season, the Lions fell flat on their faces in the early season and never made up enough momentum until the end of the year. This year, the Lions may very well start strong, scuffle in the middle and finish uneven. Though folks will be frustrated with another bad record, fans can take heart in the fact that Detroit will have improved upon a 3-13-1 season considerably and that is good news for Dan Campbell heading into year three.
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