The Detroit Lions have built a winning culture the last five seasons under Dan Campbell.
Will that continue in 2026? Detroit finished 9-8 last season and missed the NFC playoffs one year after finishing 15-2 with the top seed in the conference. Detroit had the same record as the Minnesota Vikings, but the Lions will get a last-place schedule as a result.
There were questions whether Campbell would miss offensive coordinator Ben Johnson – who took over in Chicago and led the Bears to the NFC North division title. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn took over for the New York Jets last season, too.
Detroit still has a core that includes six Pro Bowlers in Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown and Penei Sewell on offense and Aidan Hutchinson and Jack Campbell on defense. The Lions will look for a fifth straight winning season against a schedule that includes NFC South and AFC East opponents.
Here is a complete breakdown of the Lions' 2026 schedule, including dates, start times, and analysis for all 17 games.
Detroit Lions schedule 2026
Home opponents: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Saints, Buccaneers, Patriots, Jets, Titans, Giants
Away opponents: Bears, Packers, Vikings, Falcons, Panthers, Bills, Dolphins, Cardinals
Every NFL team's 2026 opponents are predetermined. The Lions' full 2025 NFL schedule with dates, times, and TV networks will be updated below when the NFL schedule is announced at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 14.
Week Date Opponent Kickoff time (ET) TV channel
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2 Thursday, Sept. 17 at Bills 8 p.m. Prime
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Detroit Lions strength of schedule
The Lions have the easiest regular-season schedule based on opponents' records from last season – which is the benefit of having a last-place schedule in the NFC North.
That includes seven games against teams that made the NFL playoffs last season, including the home-and-home series with the Bears and Packers. The Patriots, Panthers and Bills are the other playoff teams on the schedule. Detroit gets an extra home game this season.
Toughest tests: Detroit will play in the Munich Game as part of the NFL International Series, but the opponent has not been announced.
The Lions were 4-5 on the road last season with losses at Green Bay in Week 1 and Minnesota in Week 17 that led to the playoff miss. Those will be tough divisional games along with the trip to Chicago. A road trip to Buffalo won't be easy either. Those four teams had a combined record of 23-12 at home last season. New England also visits Ford Field.
Biggest breaks: The last-place schedule means matchups with the Giants, Cardinals and Dolphins. Detroit also plays the Jets as part of the AFC East schedule. Those four opponents combined for a 13-55 record last season. That could make a difference in what should be a tight NFC North race.
Detroit is 25-12 at home the last four seasons — a .676 winning percentage that is the fifth-best mark in the NFL. The Lions were 5-3 at home last season, and the losses were to the Packers, Vikings and Steelers. Detroit also avoids playing Tampa Bay – the early NFC South favorite – on the road.
The Lions also play at Miami, where Campbell was an interim coach in 2015. Detroit lost the last meeting 31-27 in 2022.
Detroit Lions record prediction
Over/under win total: 10.5 (per Caesars)
Bottom line: The Lions are an excellent bounce-back candidate if they take care of business against those other last-place teams. Drew Petzing – who spent last season with the Arizona Cardinals – is the new offensive coordinator. Kelvin Sheppard returns as defensive coordinator, and Campbell has a talented roster that has ranked in the top five in scoring offense each of the last four seasons.
Detroit had a 2-4 record against NFC North opponents last season, but those two victories were against the Bears. That rivalry should heat up even more this season. The rivalry with the Packers has already done that – and Green Bay swept both meetings last year. Detroit should be favored against the Vikings. Detroit also is 13-7 against AFC opponents the last four years – a good track record that should hold up against the AFC East.
The Lions will return to the NFC playoffs, and it will be in the mix for the NFC North title – a race that will likely be decided by just one game.
Record prediction: 11-6