Tough Blow for Detroit shocking news Lions Ahead of 2025 Season
The Detroit Lions are preparing for the challenges ahead, but a tough road awaits them in the 2025 season.
While it’s still the NFL offseason, the Lions are already back at work, getting ready for what lies ahead in 2025. September is approaching fast. With the 2025 NFL Draft in the books, the team is now focused on finalizing its 53-man roster, hoping they’ve assembled the right mix to make a deep run.
Naturally, a team’s success isn’t just about its own talent — the strength of the schedule plays a big role, too. The tougher the opponents, the steeper the climb. And unfortunately for Detroit, some news about their upcoming schedule may prove to be a major hurdle.
Analyst Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis has broken down the most difficult schedules for 2025. “With Vegas odds now available for all 32 teams, we’ve been able to rank schedules using projected win totals,” Sharp wrote.
Strangely enough, the San Francisco 49ers — the team that ended the Lions’ 2023 postseason — have the league’s easiest schedule. Right behind them are the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints, with the second and third easiest slates, respectively.
So where do the Lions rank? Unfortunately, not in a favorable spot. According to the data, Detroit holds the third toughest schedule in the NFL heading into 2025. Only the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns are projected to face a harder path. It’s curious how both of those teams ended up with such rough draws.
“These win total projections reflect team strength based on roster moves, injuries, and coaching shifts,” Sharp explained. “Because sportsbooks aim to predict outcomes as accurately as possible, the data is generally a strong indicator of a team’s present capability.”
Sharp also mentioned that past seasons show this system is usually pretty spot-on. Last year, only two teams among the 10 with the toughest projected schedules made the playoffs — the Lions and Rams. Meanwhile, seven out of the 10 teams with the softest projected schedules had winning seasons, and six reached the postseason.
The Lions’ 2025 campaign includes matchups with division champs from the AFC West (Chiefs), NFC South (Buccaneers), and NFC West (Rams). Clearly, that makes for a difficult path.
Detroit’s home slate features Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Dallas, the Giants, Browns, Steelers, and Buccaneers. Road games include the usual division foes, plus Washington, Philly, Cincy, Baltimore, Kansas City, and the Rams.
But if there’s one thing this team has shown, it’s that they won’t back down from elite competition. Let the challenge begin
