By Michael Stets
The Detroit Lions 2017 schedule was released on Thursday evening, featuring three primetime matchups and five nationally-televised games for the upcoming season.
The Lions open the season at home against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 (Sunday September 10), then head to New York in Week 2 to take on the Giants on Monday Night Football. They return home for Week 3 to take on the Atlanta Falcons, before heading back on the road to take on the Minnesota Vikings in the first divisional game of the season.
2017 will be a more home-friendly start than 2016, which is something team president Rod Wood had asked for. Last season, the Lions were on the road for three of the first four games. This year, they will be home for three of their first five games.
The team has its bye week during Week 7, followed by back-to-back primetime games. They host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football in Week 8 and visit the Green Bay Packers for Monday Night Football during Week 9.
The annual Thanksgiving Day matchup will take place Thursday November 23 at 12:30 pm ET and will be a repeat of last season’s matchup against the Vikings. Later on in the season, the Lions will host the Chicago Bears for a Saturday matchup in Week 15. That game will be televised Nationally at 4:30 pm ET on the NFL Network. And in the final game of the season, the Lions will once again host the Packers in a repeat of the 2016 regular-season finale.
Here is the complete 2017 Lions Schedule:
- Week 1: Arizona Cardinals (Sept. 10) 1PM FOX
- Week 2: @ NY Giants (Sept. 18) 8:30PM ESPN
- Week 3: Atlanta Falcons (Sept. 24) 1PM FOX
- Week 4: @ Minnesota Vikings (Oct. 1) 1PM FOX
- Week 5: Carolina Panthers (Oct. 8) 1PM FOX
- Week 6: @ New Orleans Saints (Oct. 15) 1PM FOX
- Week 7: BYE
- Week 8: Pittsburgh Steelers (Oct. 29) 8:30PM NBC
- Week 9: @ Green Bay Packers (Nov. 6) 8:30PM ESPN
- Week 10: Cleveland Browns (Nov. 13) 1PM CBS
- Week 11: @ Chicago Bears (Nov. 19) 1PM FOX
- Week 12: Minnesota Vikings (Nov. 23) 12:30PM TBA
- Week 13: @ Baltimore Ravens (Dec. 3) 1PM FOX
- Week 14: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Dec. 10) 1PM FOX
- Week 15: Chicago Bears (Dec. 16) 4:30PM NFL Network
- Week 16: @ Cincinnati Bengals (Dec. 24) 1PM FOX
- Week 17: Green Bay Packers (Dec. 31) 1PM FOX