10 Takeaways from 2022 Schedule: Lions Receive Primetime Snub
The Lions knew their opponents for some time, but the official NFL schedule has finally been revealed.
Detroit will play nine home games as part of its 17-game schedule. The schedule was officially released Thursday, though leaks had begun to circulate early in the week.
Here are 10 first-glance takeaways from the Lions’ 2022 schedule.
Homestand to begin the season
Detroit will host its first two games of 2022. The first opponent will be the Philadelphia Eagles, in a rematch of a game played in Week 8 of 2021. In that matchup, the Eagles rolled the Lions, 44-6, behind a dominant rushing performance.
Following the matchup with the Eagles, the Lions will welcome another NFC opponent in the Washington Commanders. In their first season with the new name, the Commanders will be breaking in recently acquired quarterback Carson Wentz.
Favorable strength of schedule should help team earn more wins
The Lions will have an easier schedule than most in 2022, as their opponents collectively posted the fifth-worst winning percentage in 2021. That number, .467, is higher than only the four teams in the NFC East.
It’s worth noting that the Lions will play each of the teams in that division, hosting Philadelphia and Washington, while traveling to Dallas and the New York Giants. Last season, Detroit’s schedule was the sixth-hardest in the NFL.
Road swing to end the year
After beginning the year with a home-heavy slate, Detroit will play three of its final four games on the road. A Week 16 home tilt with Chicago is sandwiched between a two-game road swing at the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, and a season-ending trip to Green Bay.
The Lions last played the Jets in 2018, with the Jets pounding Detroit on Monday Night Football in the first game of the Matt Patricia era. The Panthers, meanwhile, shut out the Lions in 2020.
Packers serve as season-ending foe for second straight year
The Lions and Packers met to end the 2021 season, with Detroit stealing a 37-30 win at Ford Field. This upcoming season will see Detroit travel to Lambeau to end the year.
The Lions have lost in two straight trips to Green Bay, with the team’s last win coming in a 31-0 rout on Dec. 30, 2018.
There were rumors that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had played his last snap with the team in the 2021 playoffs. However, he signed a new contract in the offseason, and will lead the team once again this upcoming season.
Buffalo on ‘Turkey Day’
The Bills will be the opponent in the 2022 rendition of the Lions’ annual Thanksgiving showdown, with the game kicking off at noon on CBS Nov. 24.
Buffalo leads the all-time series between the two teams, 6-4-1. The teams last met on Dec. 16, 2018, with the hosting Bills squeaking out a one-point win over Detroit. Quarterbacked by a rookie Josh Allen, the home team scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to secure the win.
Detroit last won in the series in 2006, with a 20-17 win. Jon Kitna was taking snaps in that game, and completed 24-of-36 passes for 278 yards and a touchdown.
Under Sean McDermott, the Bills were 11-6 last season, before falling to Kansas City in the divisional round of the NFL postseason.
Three-game homestand serves up crucial opponents
If the Lions want to be competitive in 2022, a late-season, three-game homestand, taking place from Weeks 12-14, will determine their fate.
First up is the Thanksgiving showdown with Buffalo. Though that game will be tough, a lot will be learned about what kind of team Detroit is under Dan Campbell, in the late stages of his second year.
After that showdown, Detroit will host Jacksonville and Minnesota. Both games seem winnable at first glance, which could give Campbell and company a solid amount of momentum heading into the latter portion of the season.
Early bye week
The Lions will have an early free week in 2022, as the team has its bye scheduled for Week 6. Games with Seattle and New England will precede it, with a trip to Dallas looming after the bye week.
Detroit had its bye week in Week 9 last season, coming off a loss to Philadelphia. In its first game off the bye, it tied Pittsburgh, 16-16, at Heinz Field.
Staying close to home
The Lions have the second smallest travel distance of any team in the league, behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers. In total, Detroit will travel 8,348 miles and across eight time zones.
The team’s longest trip will be its Week 7 matchup with Dallas, which comes after the bye week. It’s a 1,206-mile journey from Ford Field to AT&T Stadium.
Because the Lions are the only NFC North team in the Eastern Time Zone, they will cross into Central Time each time they hit the road. There are no teams on Detroit’s schedule which play in the Pacific Time Zone, as the team is not scheduled to go out West.
No primetime games
The Lions will miss out on primetime opportunities in 2022, with no scheduled games on Monday or Sunday night. NBC, which televises Sunday Night Football, could flex them into a slot late in the season.
Yet there are no Monday or Thursday Night appearances for Detroit on the schedule. Last year, the team played on Monday Night Football in Week 2, losing to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Top 2021 draft picks on tap
Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson, the respective No. 1 and 2 overall picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, will both suit up against the Lions in 2022.
Lawrence, the signal-caller for Jacksonville, will come to Detroit in Week 13. Wilson, who leads the New York Jets, will host the Lions in Week 15. Both are looking to establish themselves as budding stars, after rocky rookie seasons.
The matchup with Jacksonville will also provide fans with a matchup of the top two picks of 2022, as Jacksonville’s top selection Travon Walker will be on the opposite sideline of Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson.
Two other 2021 first-round quarterbacks, Justin Fields and Mac Jones, will also square off with the Lions. Fields, of the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, will take on Detroit in Weeks 10 and 17, while Jones and the New England Patriots host Detroit in Week 5.
