ALLEN PARK -- You never really know what you’re going to get from one year to the next in the NFL. One season, the Jaguars are in the AFC championship game. The next, the Browns are winning almost half their games. Life’s crazy.
All of which is to say, you never really know who’s going to be good in the NFL. (Except the Patriots, obviously.) But having said that, it sure looks like the Lions should have some opportunities to bounce back next year.
The winning percentage of Detroit’s 2019 opponents was just .496 last year. That ranks 19th in the league.
There aren’t many benefits to finishing last in your division, but an easier schedule is one of them. By finishing in the NFC North basement, the Lions get to face the cellar-dwellers from the NFC South (Tampa Bay) and NFC West (Arizona). They also face the entire NFC East and AFC West, plus their usual two rotations through the NFC North.
Detroit’s home games next year: Dallas, the New York Giants, Kansas City, the Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Minnesota and Green Bay. Detroit’s road games: Washington, Philadelphia, Denver, Oakland, Arizona, Chicago, Minnesota and Green Bay.
Oakland has the toughest schedule overall (.539), just one season after finishing with the second worst record in the league. Good luck, guys. Denver has the second-hardest schedule (.537), followed by Jacksonville (.531), Houston (.527), Chicago (.520) and Kansas City (.520).
Washington has the easiest schedule (.469), followed by the Patriots, Rams, Jets, Giants, and Bengals all at .473.
For those wondering: Detroit’s strength of schedule was second toughest heading into last season, but wound up at 17th by the end of the year. Again, you just never know what you’re going to get. Who knows, the Browns might even win more than half their games next season.
For the entire list of strength of schedule, click here.