Detroit Lions 2016 NFL Schedule: Dates, game times, opponents, primetime games, more

The Detroit Lions' 2016 season just became a little more real. The NFL announced the schedule as planned on Thursday night. Here's a look at the entire slate:

Preseason

Week 1 - Fri, Aug. 12 - 7 p.m. ET - at Steelers*
Week 2 - Thurs, Aug. 18 - 7:30 p.m. ET - vs. Bengals
Week 3 - Sat, Aug. 27 - 7 p.m. ET - at Ravens
Week 4 - Thurs, Sept. 1 - 7:30 p.m. ET - vs. Bills

Regular season

Week 1 - Sun, Sept. 11 - 4:25 p.m. ET - at Colts (FOX)
Week 2 - Sun, Sept. 18 - 1 p.m. ET -  vs. Titans (CBS)
Week 3 - Sun, Sept. 25 - 1 p.m. ET - at Packers (FOX)
Week 4 - Sun, Oct. 2 - 1 p.m. ET - at Bears (FOX)
Week 5 - Sun, Oct. 9 - 1 p.m. ET - vs. Eagles (FOX)
Week 6 - Sun, Oct. 16 - 1 p.m. ET - vs. Rams (FOX)
Week 7 - Sun, Oct. 23 - 1 p.m. ET - vs. Redskins (FOX)
Week 8 - Sun, Oct. 30 - 1 p.m. ET - at Texans (FOX)
Week 9 - Sun, Nov. 6 - 1 p.m. ET - at Vikings (FOX)
Week 10 - BYE
Week 11 - Sun, Nov. 20 - 1 p.m. ET - vs. Jaguars (CBS)
Week 12 - Thurs, Nov 24 - 12:30 p.m. ET - vs. Vikings (CBS)
Week 13 - Sun, Dec. 4 - 1 p.m. ET - at Saints (FOX)
Week 14 - Sun, Dec. 11 - 1 p.m. ET - vs. Bears (FOX)
Week 15 - Sun, Dec. 18 - 1 p.m. ET - at Giants (FOX)
Week 16 - Mon, Dec. 26 - 8:30 p.m. ET - at Cowboys (ESPN)
Week 17 - Sun, Jan 1 - 1 p.m. ET - vs. Packers (FOX)

* time was changed from 7:30 to 7 p.m. on April 18.

For the second year in a row, the Lions will open the season with three of their first four games on the road. The Lions open up the 2016 season with a homecoming for Jim Caldwell in Indianapolis. Detroit catches a break in their schedule, getting their road trips to Chicago and Green Bay out of the way in the first quarter of the season.

Their bye week comes in Week 10.

In total, the Lions received just two nationally televised games: the Thanksgiving Day classic, and a Monday Night Football game in Dallas.

What are your initials thoughts of the Lions' 2016 schedule?