Detroit Lions 2020 schedule: A look at their home, away opponents

The NFL won’t reveal the league’s 2020 schedule until April, but we already know the teams the Detroit Lions will be playing next season.

Schedules follow a very predictable pattern. Each year, every team plays six games against their own division, four games against a specific division in their conference, four games against a division out of conference, and the final two games against conference teams that finished in the same place in their respective divisions.

For 2020, it’s the Lions turn to face off against the NFC South, the AFC South and the two teams in the NFC East and West that finish in the same place as Detroit does in the NFC North.

The Lions clinched last place in the NFC North a few weeks ago, and the Cardinals clinched last place earlier this year, as well. And with their loss to the Giants on Sunday, Washington has guaranteed a last-place finish in the East. That means all of the Lions’ home and away opponents for the 2020 NFL season have been set. Here’s a look (along with current 2019 records).

Home opponents:

• Packers (11-3)
• Bears (7-8)
• Vikings (10-4)
• Saints (12-3)
• Buccaneers (7-8)
• Texans (10-5)
• Colts (7-8)
• Washington (3-12)

Away opponents

• Packers (11-3)
• Bears (7-8)
• Vikings (10-4)
• Titans (8-7)
• Jaguars (5-10)
• Panthers (5-10)
• Falcons (6-9)
• Cardinals (5-9-1)

It’s way too early to start counting wins or even judging how difficult the schedule looks right now... but we’re all going to do it anyways. The home schedule looks particularly tough, seeing as all but one opponent has at least seven wins on the season. On the road, however, the Lions will face five teams that will finish the 2019 season .500 or worse.

What do you think of the Lions’ 2020 schedule?