Friday, May 15, 2026

Lions Links for Friday 5-15-26

Articles:





Ranking Every Game on Detroit Lions 2026 Schedule From Easiest to Hardest:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/ranking-every-game-detroit-lions-2026-schedule-easiest-to-hardest

Lions Fans React to 2026 NFL Schedule: Final Stretch Is 'Nasty':  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/lions-fans-react-2026-nfl-schedule-final-stretch-nasty


Predicting Every Lions 2026 Game Score Even Though It's Way Too Early:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/predicting-every-lions-2026-game-score-way-too-early





Detroit Lions Schedule Release: The cost of watching the Lions on TV just took a surprising turn:  https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/detroit-lions-schedule-release-the-cost-of-watching-the-lions-on-tv-just-took-a-surprising-turn/

2026 NFL schedule: Top 10 prime-time games (8.
Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills - Week 2: Thursday, Sept. 17 at 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video. This matchup would have hit different two years ago, when the Lions and Bills were both on the rise, coming off division titles and galvanizing their long-pained fan bases. But it's even more interesting now, with Detroit and Buffalo having to get off the mat. The Lions broke a two-year streak in 2025 of making the postseason and winning the division, while the Bills entered the playoffs as a wild card for the first time since 2019 and got knocked out in the Divisional Round. That loss to the Broncos brought about the firing of Sean McDermott and elevation of Joe Brady. But that's not the only change that will be on display during the first official Thursday Night Football game of the season. The Bills will open the new Highmark Stadium in this one, an open-air behemoth, built just a Labatt's throw away from the Ralph, where Buffalo had played since 1973. The upgrade is serious, but can the Bills play to their new arena's standards, while also carrying the magic of the old place? Detroit, similarly, hopes the spark that inspired its brief turnaround hasn't left the building. For these two Rust Belt cities, their Week 2 meeting will be an early indicator as to whether either club has rediscovered its shine.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-schedule-top-10-prime-time-games

2026 NFL schedule: Broncos, Browns among 5 teams with most favorable 17-game slates (2.  Detroit Lions - Strength of schedule: .467 (27th).  Prime-time games: 2.  The Lions are aiming to bounce back from their disappointing finish to the 2025 season and will have a very promising on-ramp toward that goal. Their first five games in 2026 include only one team that won a playoff game last season (Buffalo), a prime-time contest that also serves as the official regular-season opening of new Highmark Stadium. If there's a time to face the Bills and new coach Joe Brady -- even if it has to be on the road -- it's in Week 2, when Buffalo will still be settling in under a new coaching staff. The first two divisional games will both take place at Ford Field in Weeks 7 and 8. The road slate isn't exactly daunting. Business trips outside of the NFC North include visits to Miami, Atlanta, Carolina and Arizona, and Detroit faces reigning AFC champion New England in Munich. Outside of a brutal final month (including road games against Minnesota, Chicago and Green Bay), the slate looks promising for the Lions.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/2026-nfl-schedule-broncos-browns-among-5-teams-with-most-favorable-17-game-slates

Ranking every 2026 NFL “Sunday Night Football” matchup (9. Lions at Panthers (Week 4) - Two playoff candidates meeting in an early-season litmus test is traditionally a worthwhile primetime game.  The Lions were one of the biggest underachieving teams of 2025, although they still earned the third-best overall PFF grade. Culprits included an injured defense that fell to 18th in EPA per play, plus an offensive line that regressed to 11th in overall PFF grade. First-round pick Blake Miller, Cade Mays and other new presences will hope to mend those weaknesses.  Carolina ended last year ahead of schedule, playing a competitive wild-card round with the Rams after winning the NFC South. The Panthers ended an inconsistent year 23rd in overall grade, but the team looks better after making two free-agent splashes in Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips.  It’s still unknown just how good either of these squads will turn out to be next year, but this game should provide some clarity.  10. Vikings at Lions (Week 15) - The Lions’ second “Sunday Night Football” matchup is another with few concretes going in, other than what’s often a good rivalry.  Minnesota declined last season, placing 19th in overall PFF grade behind a quarterback room that posted the second-worst PFF passing grade. The Vikings addressed that by tabbing Kyler Murray in free agency, and they introduce other new contributors like Caleb Banks, Jauan Jennings and James Pierre.  In 2025, Kevin O’Connell’s group swept the Lions, including downing them 23-10 on Christmas in a coal-stuffed showing for Detroit. In the last two seasons, this NFC North rivalry is split at 2-2. The stakes will be elevated this late in the year for teams that look at least solid, although the question is which (if either) side will be among the league’s best.):  https://www.pff.com/news/ranking-every-2026-nfl-sunday-night-football-matchup

Ranking every NFL Week 1 game in 2026: Super Bowl rematch, NFC West battle kick season off in style (13. Saints at Lions.  The New Orleans Saints will be a popular breakout pick. Tyler Shough won four of his final five starts as a rookie quarterback, and Travis Etienne arrived in free agency as a terrific running mate in the backfield. If they are to take a leap forward, a road date with the Detroit Lions is the kind of litmus test they ought to pass. And for Dan Campbell, he needs to stack wins against non-playoff teams like New Orleans in order to get the Lions back to the postseason. It is an important one straight away for both playoff hopefuls, albeit not the flashiest matchup.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-week-1-schedule-2026-ranked/

'Thursday Night Football' schedule: Ranking all 15 TNF matchups from worst to best (1. Lions at Bills (Week 2).  Not only does the first "Thursday Night Football" game of the year feature two contenders from opposing conferences, but it's also the first game at the new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park! The emotion from Bills Mafia will be enough to lift this new building from its foundation. It should be the most expensive ticket all year for a Thursday night game.  The Lions have lost five straight against the Bills, and the last time these two teams faced off, we were treated to a ridiculous 48-42 shootout at Ford Field. Buffalo and Detroit combined for more than 1,000 yards of total offense, and Jared Goff threw for 494 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions in the loss! This could be the game of the year -- and maybe even a Super Bowl preview. Who knows?):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2026-nfl-thursday-night-football-schedule/

2026 NFL schedule overreactions: 49ers a sleeper NFC West pick? (Lions will return to the playoffs - VERDICT: REALITY.  Despite playing in the uber-competitive NFC North, the Lions face the easiest strength of schedule based on Vegas forecasted wins, per Sharp Football Analysis. Detroit faces the Saints, Jets, Panthers and Cardinals as four of their first five games and later get the Dolphins, Falcons, Titans and Giants. Are those automatic wins? No. Those don't exist in the NFL. But that's a good draw thanks to finishing last in the NFC North last year. We should note Detroit was just 3-5 in one-score games en route to that disappointing finish, and this is still a very talented roster.  The other factor working in the Lions' favor is where these games are played. From Weeks 5-16, the Lions play outdoors just twice, and one of them is in sunny Miami. (The other one is in Germany.)):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2026-nfl-schedule-reality-or-overreaction/

2026 NFL Schedule Release: 5 Storylines To Watch In Patriots-Lions Game In Munich On FOX:  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2026-nfl-schedule-release-5-storylines-watch-patriots-lions-game-munich-fox

2026 NFL Schedule Release: What Are The Top 10 Games For The Upcoming Season? (9. Week 10: Patriots Vs. Lions In Munich (On FOX).  Can Jared Goff help the Lions rebound in 2026? (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)The Detroit Lions look to rebound from a disappointing season after missing the playoffs last year. They have an easier schedule this season and face a New England Patriots squad that has a much more difficult schedule after reaching the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s first year leading that team.  The Patriots play in Germany for the second time in franchise history, while it’s the first time the Lions will play there. This game also pits two potential MVP candidates against each other in Drake Maye and Jared Goff.):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2026-nfl-schedule-release-what-top-10-games-upcoming-season

2026 NFL Schedule Release: The 7 Biggest Winners — And 7 Biggest Losers (Losers  Detroit Lions:  The schedule looked like it was going to line up so easy for them. They have the easiest slate in the NFL based on projected win totals, and sixth easiest based on last year’s records. But the NFL didn’t do the Lions any favors with the way they arranged it. Their first road trip will be to Buffalo, where they'll be the Bills’ first opponent in their new stadium. And then they end the season with three road division games in the last four weeks, including at Chicago and at Green Bay in the final two weeks. The Lions do have a chance to fatten up on some bad teams before their Week 6 bye. But they better, because they’re looking at a really tough finish.):  https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2026-nfl-schedule-release-7-biggest-winners-7-biggest-losers

Eight Teams That Got Screwed by the 2026 NFL Schedule (Detroit Lions:  I suppose I cannot complain too much about this one, given that the NFL has done almost precisely what I asked it to do: punish teams that have a very easy strength of schedule in other ways. However, my rub with the Detroit schedule is incredibly specific. Just like I despise that both Rams-Seahawks games are within a three-week stretch to end the season, I really dislike all of Detroit’s road divisional games coming between Weeks 15 and 18. The Lions travel to Minnesota, Green Bay and Chicago all within the stretch of a month, creating a frantic period just before the playoffs in which the entire NFC North could change in complexion. From a viewing perspective, that’s what we would want, though the league fails to see the forest through the trees here. By creating such stretches, there’s a higher chance Detroit punches itself out as it did during the disappointing 2024 run that finished with the Lions getting waxed by the Commanders in the playoffs. This reminds me a little bit of Pittsburgh’s schedule from a year ago, which felt purposely easy in the front half to buoy Aaron Rodgers for a playoff run, only to shove literally every single divisional game in a 12-week stretch after the bye. Again, the joke is on me because that schedule created one of the great win-and-in moments of the past 10 years, with Pittsburgh edging Baltimore on a missed field goal to make the playoffs, irreversibly altering the course of both franchises. Still, the goal here should be to pace these games more evenly.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/eight-teams-screwed-2026-nfl-schedule

6 First-Round NFL Draft Picks Who Walked Into Dream Scenarios Overnight (Blake Miller, OT, Detroit Lions
Blake Miller, OT, Detroit Lions:  The Detroit Lions needed to replace Taylor Decker after the veteran offensive tackle requested his release. Drafting Blake Miller with their first-round pick should easily do that. With Penei Sewell moving to left tackle, Miller will flawlessly slot in at right tackle, where he made more than 55 career starts for Clemson. Dan Campbell is going to love his new blocker, who has the rugged run-first mentality that fits the new offensive identity like a glove.):  https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/onsi/news/6-first-round-nfl-draft-picks-who-walked-into-dream-scenarios-overnight

Three Losers From the 2026 NFL Schedule Release (Detroit Lions:  Like the Colts, the Detroit Lions face a quick trip to Europe and back, with next to no time to find their feet or recover from any jetlag. Dan Campbell’s men travel to Miami in Week 9, then face the Patriots in Munich seven days later, before facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home the following Sunday.  Despite this, the Lions will still be looking to regain their NFC North crown, but even their crucial divisional games have landed awkwardly for them this year. The Lions finish the season with trips to the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers in Weeks 17 and 18, respectively.  If there’s a time to visit Lambeau Field and Soldier Field, especially as an indoor team, with a renowned indoor quarterback, January is not the time to do it. Those road games are two that Detroit would take in September every year, but they’ll no doubt relish the challenge.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/biggest-winners-and-losers-of-the-2026-nfl-schedule-release/

5 most expensive NFL games for 2026 season (Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills – Median ticket price: $1,230
Two heavyweight contenders from the NFC and AFC will clash in Buffalo’s brand-new stadium on the shores of Lake Erie. The Lions and Bills project as one of the marquee matchups of the season.  Buffalo’s new stadium has already driven massive ticket demand, and adding a high-profile opponent like Detroit only pushes prices even higher.):  https://www.thebiglead.com/5-most-expensive-nfl-games-for-2026-season/

Every NFL team’s net rest differential after 2026 schedule release:  https://www.thebiglead.com/every-nfl-teams-net-rest-differential-2026-schedule-release/

Prediction:

Posted by LionsFan at 8:46 PM

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