2021 NFL Schedule Breakdown: Detroit Lions

The Lions made headlines this offseason when they made the surprising move of trading longtime quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff and two first-round picks. Detroit signed Dan Campbell as their new head coach and hired Brad Holmes as their general manager and executive vice president. Clearly, the Lions are moving in a completely new direction.

After losing their top wideout in Kenny Golladay to the Giants in free agency, Detroit signed veteran wide receivers Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman. The Lions signed running back Jamaal Williams to backup second-year stud D’Andre Swift.

Last season, the Lions had one of the worst defenses in the league. Detroit allowed the most passing and rushing touchdowns in the league. The Lions hired new defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to hopefully improve the defense.

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Detroit Lions Schedule:

• Week 1: Sun 09/12 vs San Francisco 49ers
• Week 2: Mon 09/20 at Green Bay Packers
• Week 3: Sun 09/26 vs Baltimore Ravens
• Week 4: Sun 10/03 at Chicago Bears
• Week 5: Sun 10/10 at Minnesota Vikings
• Week 6: Sun 10/17 vs Cincinnati Bengals
• Week 7: Sun 10/24 at Los Angeles Rams
• Week 8: Sun 10/31 vs Philadelphia Eagles
• Week 9: BYE
• Week 10: Sun 11/14 at Pittsburgh Steelers
• Week 11: Sun 11/21 at Cleveland Browns
• Week 12: Thu 11/25 vs Chicago Bears
• Week 13: Sun 12/05 vs Minnesota Vikings
• Week 14: Sun 12/12 at Denver Broncos
• Week 15: Sun 12/19 vs Arizona Cardinals
• Week 16: Sun 12/26 at Atlanta Falcons
• Week 17: Sun 1/02 at Seattle Seahawks
• Week 18: Sun 01/09 vs Green Bay Packers

NFC North: The Lions do not have a shot at winning the division even if Aaron Rodgers were to leave the Packers. They would still have to overcome the Bears and Vikings, and both of those teams have better all-around rosters than the Lions. The Lions might be decent on offense if Goff can hold his own, but the defense is not talented enough to compete in the division.

Matchups: The Lions will have to overcome formidable opponents this season. There will be no easy matchups for Detroit. They have a particularly rough stretch in the second half of the season after their Week 9 bye. Between Week 10 and Week 18, the Lions will have to face several playoff contenders such as the Steelers, Browns, Cardinals, Seahawks and Packers.

Overall: The Lions have made offseason moves that demonstrate that this team is moving in a very new direction. This includes hiring a new head coach, general manager and defensive coordinator. The Lions traded away their franchise quarterback in Stafford for a downgrade in Goff. Detroit will not make any big impact this season. They won’t even come close to making the postseason and may finish with one of the worst records in the NFC.

Prediction: The Lions will finish in last place in the division with a 4-13 record.

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