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The Detroit Lions are coming off their best season since 1991 after finishing 12-5 and reaching the NFC Championship.
The Lions came just shy of reaching the first Super Bowl in franchise history after losing to the San Francisco 49ers 34-31, but they made incredible strides and are gearing up for what should be another promising season.
The Lions won their first divisional title since 1993 last year and could be on their way to another in 2024 with many NFC North opponents in rebuild mode.
Here's a look at Detroit's schedule as it looks to blaze a path to the Super Bowl.
2024 Detroit Lions Schedule
Full schedule information available on the team's official website.
Analysis
After winning the division title a year ago, the Lions will have a target on their back in 2024.
Detroit will have to navigate a somewhat difficult schedule that includes the Super Bowl runner-up San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and a handful of other 2023 playoff teams.
But the Lions should fare well in the NFC North given that several teams are working through rebuilds. The Green Bay Packers likely have the best chance to dethrone Detroit as the NFC North champion, but the Lions still appear to be the strongest team heading into the season. The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings show some promise, but likely won't be much of a threat as their rookie quarterbacks acclimate.
Detroit didn't make many major offseason moves, but managed to fill some needs and bolster some position groups.
The Lions signed offensive guard Kevin Zeitler to a one-year deal, filling a hole that Jonah Jackson left when he departed in free agency. They also locked down guard Graham Glasgow to a three-year deal.
On the defensive side of things, Detroit signed former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle DJ Reader to a two-year deal. Reader had 34 tackles and a sack in 2023. The Lions also landed Marcus Davenport from the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year deal, gaining some pass-rushing support.
The Lions had one of the best offenses in the league a year ago but were middle of the pack on defense. They made some subtle improvements to the defense that could lead to a slight improvement.
Jared Goff had one of the best seasons of his career a year ago with 4,575 passing yards and 30 touchdowns and is looking for a repeat of that success this year. He has a strong WR1 in Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had 1,515 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago, along with a solid tight end in Sam LaPorta, who notched 889 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie.
In the backfield, the Lions will look to the pairing of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, who combined for 1,960 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in 2023.
With all of its weapons, Detroit should find success on offense once again this year. The difference between a Super Bowl and an early playoff exit could rely on the defense improving.
Pivotal Matchups
All of Detroit's divisional matchups will be key, but the club likely has a few dates circled.
The Lions' only divisional losses came against the Packers and—in upset fashion—the Bears. Detroit will be looking to get revenge on those teams this season.
Green Bay will be a tough matchup as the Packers reloaded after reaching the playoffs last year. Quarterback Jordan Love was outstanding in his first full season as a starter and is looking to continue proving himself, and a win over a divisional rival would help with that.
The Bears could sneak into the playoffs this season depending on how well rookie quarterback Caleb Williams performs in his first year. Chicago has some outstanding offensive weapons in DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and first-round draft pick Rome Odunze, so Williams is set up well and could steal another win from Detroit.
Another team looking to ride a rookie quarterback to success is Minnesota, who drafted J.J. McCarthy in the first round. The Vikings might not be a contender for the division title, but could be a tough matchup for Detroit.
Outside of their division, the Lions have a few matchups with potential Super Bowl contenders. They'll face the Cowboys, 49ers and Bills, with the two most pivotal games being against Dallas and San Francisco.
The Lions finished third in the NFC behind the 49ers and the Cowboys a year ago, and will likely need to take both of those matchups to earn the top seed in the conference. Detroit dropped its regular season matchup to the Cowboys in 2023, and the 49ers ended the Lions' season in the NFC Championship game, so there will be some added motivation in both matchups.
