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Let year two of the Jared Goff era begin for the Detroit Lions.
Detroit made waves ahead of the 2021 campaign when it landed the quarterback in a deal that sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, but the team disappointed on the way to a 3-13-1 record.
Those struggles were magnified when compared to Stafford, who won his first career Super Bowl title in his first year away from the Lions.
It was more of the same for a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since the 2016 campaign and hasn’t won a playoff game since the 1991 season.
However, Detroit added wide receiver DJ Chark this offseason to bolster the offense. The 2019 Pro Bowler will join forces with Amon-Ra St. Brown, who figures to take another step in the right direction after impressing with 912 receiving yards and five touchdown catches as a rookie in 2021.
The Lions will need them to be a dynamic one-two punch if they are going to compete this season, but they also improved their future by selecting pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson No. 2 overall and wide receiver Jameson Williams No. 12 overall in the 2022 NFL draft.
Here’s a look at the schedule the new core will be facing as they attempt to do turn things around in Detroit.
2022 Detroit Lions Schedule
Full schedule information available on the team’s official website
Analysis
The Lions caught a number of fortunate breaks with their 2022 schedule.
Their own NFC North division isn’t exactly the best considering the Green Bay Packers were the only team to finish .500 or better last season. But even they lost Davante Adams and may take a step back as well.
Drawing the NFC East was also favorable since the Dallas Cowboys were the only team better than 9-8 during the 2021 campaign.
Detroit avoided the NFC West with the champion Rams as one of three playoff teams and missed the NFC South with Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a potential contender in the New Orleans Saints.
Even better, the Lions’ AFC matchups come against the East division. While the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins are all potential playoff contenders, it is better than facing the AFC West gauntlet with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Russell Wilson and Derek Carr.
Detroit is also facing a last-place schedule, which means matchups against the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers.
What’s more, its extra 17th game comes against a Jacksonville Jaguars squad that just finished with the worst record in the league at 3-14.
The bottom line is the Lions have a number of winnable games this year.
Pivotal Matchups
While games against Super Bowl contenders such as the Packers and Cowboys stand out, the Lions have to prove they are better than some of the NFC’s middling teams before they can circle those contests.
That means matchups with the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, New York Giants and even Minnesota Vikings, which went 8-9 last season, all jump out.
Detroit cannot afford to lose to all of those teams if it is going to be seen as a potential destination for impact players in the coming years.
Speaking of the future, the matchup with the Jaguars may also be a pivotal one, but not for the reasons Lions fans might hope. After all, Jacksonville has landed the last two No. 1 overall picks in the NFL draft and may again be one of the worst teams in the league.
The loser of that game could be in line for the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
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