3 Things to Watch For When Lions' Schedule Is Released

The NFL schedule is set to be released tonight at 8 p.m. EST via the NFL Network.

On the three-hour show, the league will gradually go through and reveal every game.

Obviously, with the COVID-19 pandemic, the start of the season could be in jeopardy, and it’s unlikely the year will be completely routine.

At this time, it’s very tough to predict just how much impact the virus will have months from now.

As a result, the NFL does have alternative plans of action in place.

Despite the obvious concern with the virus, you will still get to find out when, where and who the Lions will be slated against in 2020.

Here are a few things to keep an eye on for the Lions after the schedule is confirmed:

1.) Bye week

The timing of the bye week is always important -- more so for the players than it is the fans.

Typically, it's more beneficial for a bye week to come later in the season when a team is a little more nicked up.

The week off is a perfect time for players with nagging injuries and other ailments to rest and hopefully come back refreshed.

Another aspect of the bye week that can help the Lions is who their opponent is after the break.

It gives the coaching staff extra time to prepare, study film and put specific schemes in place.

In saying that, the Lions would probably like to have one of their more difficult matchups immediately following the bye.

2.) Potential weather

The Lions play indoors, and like to throw the ball down the field.

Early in the season, it's rare for weather to impact what the Lions want to do on offense, but that can change as the season progresses.

As the year turns from fall to winter, it's always important to check if there are any cold weather games late in the season that have the potential for snow or other inclement weather.

Fortunately, for the Lions, outside of having to travel to Chicago and Green Bay, they play the NFC South and the AFC South this year. So, there won’t be much snow in the forecast at those locations.

There is still the potential for some rain in the open stadiums, though.

3.) NFC North matchups

Seemingly every year, the Lions end their regular season with a division rival.

Unfortunately, the final games the last couple years have had no playoff implications. Hopefully, that isn’t the case in 2020.

Preferably, the Lions will have a home game in Week 17 that will give them a slight advantage over their NFC North foe.

No matter the circumstances, the Lions will need to win some divisional games away from Ford Field if they want to get that elusive division crown or simply make it to the postseason.

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