Twentyman breaks down Lions’ remaining 12 games as team returns from bye
The Detroit Lions are on their bye week after a 45-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, and senior writer Tim Twentyman laid out a game-by-game look at the team’s remaining 12 contests. Twentyman noted safety Brian Branch and center Cade Mays are trending toward returns as Detroit prepares for consecutive home division games to open the post-bye slate. The column emphasizes the importance of health and depth as the Lions navigate travel and a challenging late-season stretch. Detroit opened the season with its first NFC North game still to come after the bye.
Week 7 brings Green Bay to Ford Field for the Lions’ first NFC North game of the season. Twentyman pointed out the Packers completed four passes of 40-plus yards against Chicago last weekend and rank last in the NFL in rushing, making a healthy secondary important against an explosive passing attack. He added that starting strong against the division is critical because Detroit finishes the regular season with three of four on the road, all against NFC North opponents. The team will seek to use home-field advantage early in the post-bye stretch.
The Lions host Minnesota in Week 8 after the Vikings have a Week 7 home game against the Indianapolis Professional Football Team. Twentyman noted Minnesota swept Detroit last year and said the matchup will mark offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s first game against Brian Flores’ blitz-oriented defense. He recalled that Petzing last faced Flores and Minnesota as Arizona’s offensive coordinator in 2024, when the Cardinals rushed for 154 yards and totaled 406 yards in a 23-22 loss. Detroit will prepare for a physical divisional test with those recent results in mind.
Detroit’s Week 9 trip to Miami offers a brief respite from Midwest weather. Twentyman described the Dolphins as in transition under new head coach Jeff Hafley and noted Miami lost running back De’Von Achane for the season to an ACL injury. He added that Miami ranked 31st in scoring at 14.0 points per game and 26th in points allowed at 26.4 points per contest at the time of the column. The Lions will face a Dolphins team still seeking consistent offensive identity.
Week 10 will send the Lions to Munich as part of the NFL’s international slate to face New England. Twentyman called New England last year’s AFC champion and noted the Patriots (3-2) had shown recent offensive consistency with a win at Buffalo in Week 4 and a 45-point outing against the Raiders. He added that travel and the time change could influence which team acclimates best for the international game. Detroit had not played an international contest since London in 2015.
After the Munich trip, Detroit returns to Ford Field in Week 11 to face Tampa Bay. Twentyman noted the Buccaneers started 1-4 and had blitzed opponents on 37.6 percent of plays this season, behind only Minnesota at 57.2 percent. He added that Tampa Bay had been playing without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield (thumb) but that Mayfield was expected to be back in time for the matchup. Detroit has won three of the last four meetings, including the 2024 divisional playoff win.
Thanksgiving will feature the Lions hosting Chicago in Week 12, the 21st Thanksgiving meeting between the rivals and the sixth time in the last 12 years the game has been played in Detroit. Twentyman noted Chicago was the defending NFC North champion coming off an 11-6 season and that the Bears were 0-2 against Detroit last season, including a 52-21 loss at Ford Field in Week 2. He emphasized the added importance of division games on the holiday. Detroit will look to make Thanksgiving a key home advantage.
Week 13 sends Detroit to Atlanta, where the Falcons were 2-3 at the time of the column and would look to establish the run behind Bijan Robinson, the NFL’s leading rusher with 580 yards. Twentyman highlighted the matchup as intriguing because Jahmyr Gibbs and Robinson were the first two running backs selected in the 2023 draft and both have become among the league’s top backs. He said Atlanta presents dangerous skill weapons that can open a game if its run game clicks. The Lions will need to contain the run to limit explosive plays.
The Lions then host Tennessee in Week 14, a game Twentyman described on paper as a mismatch based on current offensive production. He noted one team ranked as the league’s top scoring offense at 32.8 points per game and the other as the lowest-scoring offense at 11.6 points per game. Twentyman added that Tennessee was averaging about 163 passing yards and 82 rushing yards per game, with quarterback Cam Ward throwing three touchdowns through five contests. Detroit expected to try to exploit that disparity at Ford Field.
Week 15 begins a difficult late-season stretch with a trip to Minnesota, the first of three road games in Detroit’s final four matchups and all against division opponents. Twentyman emphasized that U.S. Bank Stadium has been a challenging environment for the Lions, who were 4-6 there since it opened in 2016. He predicted close games in Minneapolis and said the series often produces tight contests. Detroit will need to secure wins on the road to protect its playoff positioning.
Detroit returns home in Week 16 to host the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Twentyman recalled the last Ford Field meeting, an overtime 34-27 Lions victory in which Jameis Winston threw for 366 yards and accounted for three touchdowns. He noted New York was 3-1-1 at the time and that the Giants ranked among the NFL’s Top 10 in overall defense and seventh against the pass at 199 yards per game. The Lions would aim to build momentum at home before the season’s final stretch.
Week 17 sends Detroit back to Chicago for a late-season, January-style game that Twentyman said could favor strong defense and a running attack. He pointed out the Bears were allowing 19.2 points per game, the fifth-fewest in the league, and were leading the NFL in rushing at 173.0 yards per game. Twentyman suggested those strengths could serve Chicago well as weather turns colder late in the season. Detroit would need to be prepared for a physical, ground-oriented contest.
The regular season closes in Week 18 at Green Bay, which Twentyman framed as a potential division-deciding game that could involve cold weather and the elements affecting play. He referenced recent NFC North finishes that came down to the final game and suggested a January matchup in Green Bay could have playoff seeding on the line. Twentyman said old-school divisional football could make for a compelling end to the regular season. The Lions would face a crucial finale in a challenging environment.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Twentyman’s schedule breakdown underscores how pivotal health and depth will be for Detroit down the stretch. The potential returns of Brian Branch and Cade Mays would bolster a defense that faces several explosive passing attacks early and an offensive line that will travel overseas to Munich. The Lions benefit from a run of games against struggling or transitioning offenses such as Miami and Tampa Bay, but the three road division games late in the season — trips to Minnesota, Chicago and Green Bay — present significant challenges that could determine playoff seeding. How Detroit manages travel, opponent matchups and personnel availability will shape its fate in what remains of the 2026 regular season.