The Lions are finally set to open the regular season after a strong preseason and a lot of buzz about what this team can be in 2026. In six days, Detroit hosts the New Orleans Saints in Week 1, and the matchup gives the Lions a chance to start answering the questions that have followed them into a season built around a rebound from 2025.
Detroit is trying to get back on top of the NFC North and, just as importantly, put together some postseason success for the first time since 2023. The Saints have had their share of issues over the last few years, but they’re not being treated like a soft landing spot here. The expectation is a Lions win, though not without a few twists along the way.
One of those twists centers on Jahmyr Gibbs, who is projected to open his first game after his historic extension with a statement performance. The forecast is a big workload, 120 rushing yards, and a touchdown on the ground.
He’s also expected to matter as a receiver, which would help keep New Orleans guessing. Even with Chase Young and Cam Jordan anchoring the Saints’ defensive line, the idea here is that Gibbs eventually wears them down.
There’s also a rookie defender worth watching. Skyler Gill-Howard, who earned his roster spot after a standout preseason, is picked to notch his first regular-season sack. The appeal is simple: he plays with the kind of force that can overwhelm blockers, and his bull rush has enough pop to matter against a quarterback like Tyler Shough, who is not considered especially mobile.
Not everything is expected to come easily for Detroit, though. Jared Goff is projected to have a tougher afternoon behind an offensive line that could run into real problems against New Orleans up front.
The Lions’ young line may struggle to keep him clean, forcing him to work off-balance and move around in the pocket. Even so, the prediction still has Goff finishing with two passing touchdowns.
The catch is that the yardage won’t be there, with his total expected to stay under 200.
In Other News...
Lions Face A Core Roster Decision With Long Term Consequences
The Lions have a hard cap cleanup in front of them, with their salary total sitting well above the league limit and Monday set as the deadline to get under it. The front office has a handful of obvious levers to pull, and the names at the center of the discussion tell the story of where Detroit is headed, with Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and Alim McNeill all potential candidates for contract restructuring.
It is the kind of move that can buy immediate flexibility while pushing some of the pain down the road, which is why it matters so much for a team trying to stay competitive without boxing itself in later. Detroit has built its core around those players, so any decision to open space now carries long-term consequences, and the balance between present-day relief and future commitments is exactly what makes this a decision worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Still Have One Week 1 Roster Issue To Solve
With the regular-season opener against the Saints looming, the Lions still have a little fine-tuning to do as they sort through the last bits of their Week 1 roster. There is some room for movement, and the conversation has included familiar depth pieces such as Tom Kennedy, the kind of player teams turn to when they want reliable practice-squad insurance to help cover a specific game plan.
New Orleans presents an immediate test, especially on the perimeter with Chris Olave giving Detroit a receiver it has to account for from the start. Even with the opener in focus, the broader discussion around the roster has drifted into bigger-picture territory, including a set of bold 2026 predictions that put Jahmyr Gibbs at the center of what this offense could become. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Still Have 3 Starting Battles That Could Test Early Stability
The Lions have spent the offseason building around a roster that already looks sturdy, but a few spots remain open as training camp sorting begins. Left guard is the clearest example, with Christian Mahogany expected to get the first crack while Ben Bartch and Miles Frazier keep pushing for a role. It is the kind of competition that can sharpen a team if it settles quickly, especially on a line that is supposed to be part of Detroits identity.
The secondary has even more moving parts. At nickelback, Keith Abney II and Roger McCreary are expected to split snaps, and at outside cornerback Rock Ya-Sin looks like the front-runner while Khalil Dorsey and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. stay in the mix. For a defense trying to leave camp with early stability, those are not small decisions, and the way those jobs sort out could say a lot about how ready the Lions are to open the season. [Read more 🡒]