Getty Baker Mayfield celebrates with Myles Garrett.
The Detroit Lions know their 2021 schedule including dates and times, and the slate is one of the toughest in the NFL, so it’s no picnic.
This season, the Lions have another full slate of games they are set to attack, and the team will have a. brand new roster as well as a new coaching staff to break in. If the Lions are able to get on a roll, they might surprise some folks, but it will start with getting going on a tough schedule.
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What will be the toughest games the Lions have to face this coming season? Here’s a look at some ideas.
Lions at Pittsburgh Steelers (Week 10)
The good news about this game? The Lions will be coming off a bye week. The bad news? They have to hit the road to take on the Steelers in a place they haven’t made a habit of winning or playing consistent football through the years. It’s a tough ask to go into Pittsburgh and win no matter what the variables, and that will be the case again in 2021. The Lions need to find a way to come out and compete strongly in this game.
Lions at Cleveland Browns (Week 11)
It’s rare to see a couple of rust belt rivals from separate conferences get together but always fun when they do given the proximity and rivalry between the cities in other sports and how their miserable football fortunes have mirrored each other through the years. Cleveland is on a better trajectory now thanks in-part to new Detroit executive John Dorsey. Seeing Dorsey’s old team go against his new one will be an intriguing case study for Lions fans perhaps looking for somewhat of a hint as to what the team wants to look like moving forward. Obviously, the Lions hope to be where Cleveland is trending now in a few more years. Right off a tough game against Pittsburgh, it’s not easy to go to Cleveland and win.
Lions at Los Angeles Rams (Week 7)
Obviously, this game needs no introduction for Lions fans. It will be the return of Matthew Stafford to face his former team, Jared Goff to his former stadium and Brad Holmes resurfacing to tangle against another team he helped build. Safe to say this game is probably Detroit’s only shot at a primetime game or game of significance, but it will be interesting to see how all the subplots play out. Could the Lions and Goff get some revenge against Stafford, Les Snead and Sean McVay, or will they be a mere speed bump for a Rams team many sees as Super Bowl contenders? It may be the game to watch for Detroit this season in terms of interest and plenty of juicy plots and subplots. It’s also a very difficult game given the power of the Rams.
Lions vs. Baltimore Ravens (Week 3)
After playing the 49ers and Packers in a pair of tough games to start the year, the Lions come home to take on a Baltimore team that has one of the toughest offenses to defend in the NFL as well as a defense which is annually one of the best in the league. It’s not easy to see a team like Baltimore early in the season, and if things break poorly for the Lions, they could be staring an 0-3 start in the face. That would be a tough reality for a new coaching staff.
Lions vs. San Francisco 49ers (Week 1)
How does the Dan Campbell era begin? Only with a visit from the 49ers, a team that wants to find a quick turnaround after an awful 2021 season. It’s possible that San Francisco will be starting rookie Trey Lance in this game, though it would seem a fairer bet that Jimmy Garoppolo might draw the duty. Either way, this game isn’t easy given the strong defense the 49ers pack and some of their other weapons. If the Lions could pull off a win, it could be huge for the momentum the franchise is trying to build, but the difficulty of the task shouldn’t be minimized. Remember how the Matt Patricia era started with a blowout loss to the New York Jets? This is an important game, and it will be tough.
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