Back in January, after the NFC Championship Game, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell didn't hold back his feelings after the team's 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He made it clear that getting back to that position wasn't going to be easy. Now that the full 2024 NFL schedule has been released, the Lions know exactly what they have in store for them in the upcoming season.
“I told those guys, this may have been our only shot,” Campbell told reporters after the NFC Championship (via NBCSports). “Do I think that? No. Do I believe that? No. However, I know how hard it is to get here. I’m well aware. And it’s gonna be twice as hard to get back to this point next year than it was this year. That’s the reality. And if we don’t have the same hunger and the same work — which is a whole ‘nother thing once we get to the offseason — then we got no shot of getting back here.”
The Lions will be one of the favorites in the NFC in the upcoming season. That's something the nearly century-old franchise has rarely been able to say. But this seems to be a new reality for the Lions, and one that Detroit fans are savoring every minute of. Though we've seen Lions teams quickly crumble after short rises of success, this team feels much different. For one, it's probably the most talented team in Lions' history. And two, it's staffed with coaches that seem to have a real plan. But plans, as good as they can be constructed, may not always see their full potential.
Last year was the first time the Lions recorded a 12-win regular season since 1991, and then won two playoff games afterward. They'll hope to do better than that in the season to come. But the latest schedule presents some notable challenges that could derail any and all of the Lions' plans if they're not careful.
Lions' scariest pitfall in the 2024 schedule
The Lions get an early bye week in Week 5 this year. But if you asked them, they'd probably prefer that bye week a few weeks later. Though Detroit will face off in rematches against two of their playoff opponents from last season in the first two games, they then follow that up going to Arizona. Then it's back at home the following week to face the Seahawks on Monday Night Football before the bye week.
The Cardinals could definitely be much improved, but that remains to be seen. The Seahawks, on the other hand, will be entering a season under a new coaching staff with some roster questions, including at quarterback. So, even though it's the NFL and anything can happen, the Lions probably aren't as overly concerned about this portion of their schedule as they are what's after.
Coming out of the bye, the Lions begin the rest of their season against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington. It's then back on the road to face rival Minnesota in a division game. Finally, back at home the next week, the Lions host the Titans before they then head back out on the road to face the Packers and the Texans on Sunday Night Football the next two weeks.
How will the Lions respond coming out of the Week 5 Bye?
It's always interesting to see how teams respond coming out of a bye. Some look refreshed, needing the week off to heal up; others come off flat from the rest. But again, this will be just a little over a month into the season when the Lions take a break. After that, it's 13 weeks straight of games that will include another Sunday night game, a Thursday night game, and another Monday night game.
What's scary for the Lions entering Week 6 is that three out of their next five games will be against teams that made the playoffs last season. Not only that, but those three opponents (Cowboys, Packers, Texans) will all be on the road. They also can't discount the game against the Vikings in Minnesota due to the division rivalry. And who knows what the Titans may look like then.
We'll get to see what the 2024 Lions squad is made of once they enter this stretch of the season.
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