We are in familiar and ironic territory for the Detroit Lions, as they head in to a tough road matchup winless at 0-8 this weekend. Now the questions sits if they will have another 0-for season, even worse than 0-16, or when and where could the first win come before season’s end. We’ve ranked the best shot the Lions have to getting that all-important first win of the Dan Campbell era from best to worst.
Atlanta Falcons- December 26th
The road is not easy for the Lions the rest of the way, but the Atlanta Falcons are known to have shootouts and close games this season. The last few times the Lions have matched up with Matt Ryan’s Falcons, it has come down to the wire. The Falcons don’t blow teams out, so you can bet on the Lions giving up points, but scoring as well, and potentially sneaking out with a victory.
Minnesota Vikings- December 5th
The Vikings have a very similar style to the Falcons when it comes to close games this season, including a win over the Lions on a late field goal earlier this season. The fact that this contest will be played at Ford Field gives the Lions a little bit better of a chance this time around.
Chicago Bears-Thanksgiving Day
No doubt the Lions will struggle against a quarterback like Justin Fields, which they did in his starting debut, but the Bears have been inconsistent and unreliable this season. The hype of Thanksgiving Day plays a role….sometimes….and again, the road contest of this season has already come and gone, so home field advantage is there.
Denver Broncos- December 12th
This game was the added 17th contest once the extended season was announced. The Broncos are a team that started out hot, then went the complete opposite direction, but then got back on track with an upset in Dallas. Teddy Bridgewater is hit or miss, but if he is a bit off, that will open the door for the Lions to pull out a victory.
Cleveland Browns- November 21st
This is another example of a game that could be very ugly, or very competitive, and it is all on the inconsistent play of quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Browns look a little more relieved since they moved on from Odell Beckham Jr., and the Lions do struggle against the run game, so Nick Chubb will be a problem.
Seattle Seahawks- January 2nd
The Seahawks have a worse record than the Browns, but they do have Russell Wilson back as of this week, which makes this more of a challenge. Their shot in the NFC West seems very long, but an extra Wild Card team gives them more to play for in the NFC Playoff picture. Wilson throwing to Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf will forever be a problem, but the Lions have played tough in Seattle before. Also, Jared Goff is familiar with the venue and defense from his time with the Rams.
Pittsburgh Steelers- November 14th
The Steelers have shown signs of being very good and really bad this season, but right now, they are on fire with home field advantage. Ben Roethlisberger has been around long enough to know how to beat teams like the Lions, and any team with a run game will be a problem. Expect Najee Harris to have a big game, but that defense does crack during games. It is up to the Lions to capitalize on those cracks to get a victory.
Green Bay Packers- January 9th
The only reason why this isn’t the toughest game on this list is because it is the season finale, and there is a good chance the Packers will already be clinched and resting players. But we aren’t going to assume that is the case, so it belongs to be this far up. We know how good Aaron Rodgers is, despite the drama he has caused over the past year, and this doesn’t feel like the right Lions roster to pass the test of cheese.
Arizona Cardinals- December 19th
The Cardinals have broken through to their full potential, or so it seems, and this is only ranked harder than the Packers because of the style of quarterback that Kyler Murray is. Rodgers is phenomenal, but any quarterback that can run the ball as well as they can throw it will be a serious problem for the Detroit defense. Here’s to hoping we don’t get this far in the season looking for that first victory, but unfortunately, we are about halfway there.