5 Games the Detroit Lions Cannot Afford to Lose in 2012

We all do it.

The NFL schedule comes out and we pull out the marker, going week by week, placing a 'W' or 'L' next to each game our favorite team plays.

There are what I like to call "hard W's", or games that I just know my team will win.

You count on those games as wins, even in a "worst-case scenario" projection for your team.

If they end up losing any of those games, it often means it's going to be a long, painful season.

Here are five games that the Detroit Lions absolutely cannot lose in order to have a successful 2012 campaign.

Week 4: Minnesota

Pretty much everyone on the planet, including Viking fans, expects Minnesota to finish at the bottom of the NFC North.

The Lions cannot afford to lose at home in the first month of the season to a team who should be in the hunt for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Week 9: @ Jacksonville

The Jags, quite literally, are a one-man show thanks Maurice Jones-Drew.

Jacksonville should not compete in their division, let alone pose a threat to a sleeper Super Bowl pick like Detroit.

A loss here might break the spirit of the Lions down the stretch.

Week 10: @ Minnesota

By this point, the Vikings should be prepping for the 2013 season.

The Lions need to establish total dominance over Minnesota by soundly beating them in their own house.

Week 13: Indianapolis

I'd be surprised if the Colts have any wins at this point in the season.

Andrew Luck may be the future, but the present looks bleak for the Colts, who surely should not be able to upend the Lions this late in the year.

Week 15: @ Arizona

With three games left before the playoffs, it would be a bad sign to lose to a squad that might be the worst team in its own division.

If Detroit is to make a deep playoff run, they'll have to be able to discard what should be a worse-than-mediocre Cardinal team with ease.