Game week is here for the Detroit Lions, and the opener on Sunday, Sept. 13 at Ford Field against the New Orleans Saints is the first hurdle in a season built around a simple goal: get back to the top of the NFC North and return to the playoffs after a 9-8 finish.
The Lions should be favored in that one, but the NFL has a habit of turning “should” into “didn’t.” Detroit learned that lesson a few times last year, most notably in a 27-24 Week 9 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings that few saw coming. With that in mind, a few spots on the 2026 schedule stand out as possible trouble.
One of the earliest danger spots comes in Week 4, when the Lions head to Charlotte to face the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 4.
That trip comes after matchups with the Saints, Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, and it drops Detroit into a road game against a Panthers team that won the NFC South last season with an 8-9 record. Carolina also came close to knocking off the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round, and its upset of the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field last season helped push the Panthers into the postseason.
Bryce Young is still trending upward, which is a big reason this one could get tricky.
A little later in the year, Week 13 brings another game that looks more complicated than it might at first glance. After the Thanksgiving Day rivalry game against the Chicago Bears, the Lions go to Atlanta on Dec. 6 to play the Falcons.
The Falcons recently named Tua Tagovailoa as their starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it’ll be interesting to see how long he stays in that role with Michael Penix Jr. on the bench. Detroit will have 10 days off between the Bears game and that trip, so the Lions should be in position to handle it - but after what could be a season-defining win over Chicago, it’s still a spot they can’t afford to treat lightly.
The last potential trap sits in Week 16, when the New York Giants come to Ford Field on Dec. 28.
Detroit needed overtime and a huge night from Jahmyr Gibbs to get past Jameis Winston and the Giants 34-27 last season, and this year’s version is expected to bring an improved roster led by Jaxson Dart. Late December games carry extra weight, and this one could matter a great deal in the Lions’ push for a playoff berth and an NFC North title, even against an opponent outside the division.
In Other News...
Lions Already Face One Contender Question National Media Can't Ignore
National media is already split on where to place the Lions heading into the 2026 season, with several Week 1 power rankings putting Detroit anywhere from eighth to 16th. The range says plenty about how this team is viewed right now: respected, dangerous and still capable of being a contender, but not yet free of the questions that tend to follow a roster coming off injury issues and offseason change.
A lot of the skepticism centers on availability and depth, especially with safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph dealing with injuries and the backfield carrying its own concerns behind the top options. Add in the transition under new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, and Detroit finds itself in a familiar spot for a rising team trying to prove it can stay high on the list once the games start for real. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Linked To Costly Secondary Move Fans Will Want Debated
A potential cornerback shakeup in Pittsburgh has put the Lions in an interesting spot, at least in the realm of early trade chatter. Joey Porter Jr. has become the name to watch amid speculation that the Steelers could eventually weigh moving him if contract talks lag, and one floated scenario has Detroit paying a steep price to get him into its secondary.
For the Lions, the appeal is obvious: Porter would bring another high-end defensive back into a unit that has been central to the teams rise, even if the cost is heavy. A 2027 first-round pick is the kind of draft capital that can make any front office hesitate, but it also says plenty about how aggressively Detroit might be willing to pursue help if it believes a difference-maker is available. [Read more 🡒]
Which Lions Rookies Could Force Their Way Into Bigger Roles Fast
The Lions opened the 2026 season with six rookies on the initial active roster, a sign that this group is already being asked to do more than just learn on the job. Charles Miller looks lined up to start at right tackle right away, while the rest of the class arrives with a mix of immediate utility and longer-term upside that has become a familiar part of Detroits roster-building approach.
Moore, Rolder, Abney and Gill-Howard are all expected to factor into rotational work or special teams first, but the path is there for bigger roles if they keep earning trust. The addition of undrafted free agent Eric O'Neill only adds another layer to a rookie group that could quickly shape depth charts and force decisions as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]