Following their 40-34 road win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Detroit Lions are now 14-2 with just one game remaining on their 2024 regular-season schedule. As it stands, the Lions are in first place in the NFC North, and they will claim the NFC North crown if they are able to defeat (or tie) the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18 at Ford Field.
With that said, with Week 17 in the books, let's take a look at what the Lions' home/away opponents would look like if the season ended today. Note: This could change after next week's game against the Vikings.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | at Baltimore Ravens | M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | at Chicago Bears | Soldier Field, Chicago, IL | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | at Cincinnati Bengals | Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, OH | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | Chicago Bears | Ford Field, Detroit, MI | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | Green Bay Packers | Ford Field, Detroit, MI | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | Minnesota Vikings | Ford Field, Detroit, MI | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | Dallas Cowboys | Ford Field, Detroit, MI | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | New York Giants | Ford Field, Detroit, MI | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | Cleveland Browns | Ford Field, Detroit, MI | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | Pittsburgh Steelers | Ford Field, Detroit, MI | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Ford Field, Detroit, MI | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | at Green Bay Packers | Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | at Minnesota Vikings | U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | at Philadelphia Eagles | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | at Washington Commanders | Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | at Los Angeles Rams | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA | TBA | TBA |
| TBA | at Kansas City Chiefs | Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO | TBA | TBA |
NFL SCHEDULING FORMULA BROKEN DOWN
Here's a simplified breakdown of the NFL's regular season scheduling formula:
- Divisional Games: Each team plays the other three teams in their division twice—once at home and once on the road (6 games total).
- In-Conference Games: Each team plays the four teams in a predetermined division within their own conference—two games at home and two on the road (4 games total). The division changes every three years.
- Interconference Games: Teams also play one team from each of the two other divisions in their conference, based on the standings from the previous season—one at home, one on the road (2 games total).
- Opponent from the Other Conference: Each team plays four games against teams from a predetermined division in the other conference (two at home, two on the road). This rotation changes every four years.
- 17th Game: Teams play one extra interconference game against a team from the opposite conference that finished in a similar position the year before.
Additional Notes:
- All teams must play each other in their conference at least once every three years and teams in the other conference at least once every four years.
- Home and away games are typically alternated by the league to balance the schedule.
- The final week of the season always features divisional matchups.
