Lions’ scariest pitfall to overcome on 2024 NFL schedule
Back in January, after the NFC Championship Game, Detroit Lions head teach Dan Campbell didn’t preserve again his emotions after the team’s 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. He made it clear that getting lower back to that role wasn’t going to be easy. Now that the full 2024 NFL schedule has been released, the Lions understand precisely what they have in save for them in the upcoming season.
“I informed these guys, this can also have been our solely shot,” Campbell informed journalists after the NFC Championship (via NBCSports). “Do I think that? No. Do I trust that? No. However, I be aware of how difficult it is to get here. I’m nicely aware. And it’s gonna be twice as difficult to get returned to this factor subsequent year than it was once this year. That’s the reality. And if we don’t have the equal hunger and the identical work — which is a whole ‘nother issue as soon as we get to the offseason — then we got no shot of getting back hereThe Lions will be one of the favorites in the NFC in the upcoming season. That’s something the almost century-old franchise has not often been able to say. But this seems to be a new truth for the Lions, and one that Detroit followers are savoring every minute of. Though we’ve considered Lions groups quickly fall apart after brief rises of success, this team feels a whole lot different. For one, it’s likely the most talented group in Lions’ history. And two, it’s staffed with coaches that appear to have a actual plan. But plans, as properly as they can be constructed, may not always see their full potential.
Last yr was the first time the Lions recorded a 12-win everyday season for the reason that 1991, and then won two playoff games afterward. They’ll hope to do higher than that in the season to come. But the modern schedule offers some tremendous challenges that may want to derail any and all of the Lions’ plans if they’re no longer careful.
Lions’ scariest pitfall in the 2024 time table isThe Lions get an early bye week in Week 5 this year. But if you requested them, they’d likely select that bye week a few weeks later. Though Detroit will face off in rematches in opposition to two of their playoff opponents from remaining season in the first two games, they then observe that up going to Arizona. Then it’s again at home the following week to face the Seahawks on Monday Night Football earlier than the bye week.
The Cardinals ought to truely be tons improved, but that stays to be seen. The Seahawks, on the different hand, will be coming into a season under a new coaching workforce with some roster questions, consisting of at quarterback. So, even though it’s the NFL and something can happen, the Lions possibly aren’t as overly involved about this portion of their schedule as they are what’s after.
Coming out of the bye, the Lions commence the rest of their season against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington. It’s then returned on the road to face rival Minnesota in a division game. Finally, returned at domestic the subsequent week, the Lions host the Titans before they then head again out on the road to face the Packers and the Texans on Sunday Night Football the next two weeks.
It’s continually fascinating to see how teams respond coming out of a bye. Some appear refreshed, desiring the week off to heal up; others come off flat from the rest. But again, this will be simply a little over a month into the season when the Lions take a break. After that, it’s 13 weeks straight of video games that will encompass any other Sunday night time game, a Thursday night game, and any other Monday night time game.
What’s frightening for the Lions getting into Week 6 is that three out of their subsequent 5 video games will be in opposition to groups that made the playoffs final season. Not solely that, but these three opponents (Cowboys, Packers, Texans) will all be on the road. They additionally can’t bargain the recreation against the Vikings in Minnesota due to the division rivalry. And who knows what the Titans may additionally seem like then.
We’ll get to see what the 2024 Lions squad is made of once they enter this stretch of the season.