With tougher schedule in 2025, Lions would benefit from easy games early

Last year, the Lions and the rest of the NFC North had an easy schedule, thanks to a rotation that had them playing the four teams of the NFC West and the four teams of the AFC South.

This year, the rotation takes them to the AFC North and NFC East. It also takes the Lions outdoors for seven of their nine road games.

They'll play at the Bears, Packers, Commanders, Eagles, Bengals, Ravens, and Chiefs. The Lions will surely be at the mercy of Mother Nature for three or four of those games. Even if the conditions are pristine, none will translate to easy wins — especially since the Lions continue to wear a fairly large target.

The two biggest cupcakes on the 2025 schedule (Browns and Giants), based on their 3-14 records in 2024, play in Detroit. The only other non-division foe with a losing record in 2024 is the Cowboys, who were 7-10 and also come to Detroit.

Every team the Lions play on the road, with the exception of the Bears, finished on the right side of .500 last year. Seven of them made the playoffs.

With the Lions losing both coordinators and multiple other members of the coaching staff in January, it would be helpful to face some of the lesser teams early. That will help the new-look staff build confidence and avoid the kind of adversity the Lions of the last two years haven't experienced.

It's the most important aspect of the schedule release, for most teams. The opponents have been known since the moment the regular season ended. The order becomes critical to setting the tone for the season.

An early-season gauntlet can sow doubt. An early-season cakewalk can build confidence.

While the Lions remain one of the best teams in the league from a talent standpoint, significant changes have been made to Dan Campbell's staff. They'll be better off with smooth sailing in September than a series of losses that could make the players start to wonder whether the window is closing in on closing.