Detroit Lions 2011 Schedule Preview: 16 Games, 16 Major Headlines

We're getting close to regular-season prediction time. The Detroit Lions' first preseason game is in the books, August is half over and training camp will soon be winding down.

But any of you who have been following me for a while know that I find it utterly silly to give a regular-season prediction before we even know what the 53-man roster is going to look like.

Imagine if I had done a 16-game prediction two weeks ago, in which I predicted that the Lions would win a bunch of games based on Mikel Leshoure's production in improving the run game.

Would have looked stupid now, right? So while I won't make any true regular-season predictions while they can still be invalidated before the start of the season, I will revive something I had a lot of fun with last year.

That is, predicting the likely pregame storylines for each game.

Now, I will take some liberties here. Even though I just said we don't know who will be on each team's roster, some game storylines will center around certain specific players (Donovan McNabb in Minnesota, Cam Newton in Carolina, etc.).

Furthermore, since I'm not predicting game outcomes yet, I'm going to mostly ignore some of the late-season storylines that will almost certainly center around playoff positioning (be that for the Lions, their opponents or both).

Regardless of regular-season record, there are storylines ready for every game this season, so sit back while I try to follow the mass media's angle on each pregame story.

Week 1: Tampa Bay Seeks Revenge Against Team That Ruined Their Playoff Chances

There is lots to talk about in this game. It's opening week, so most of the attention will be paid to the fact that the season is starting on time after doubts that the season would happen at all.

As far as this game in particular? The teams matched up in 2010, and it was a huge turning point for both. The Detroit Lions snapped their NFL-record 26-game road losing streak, and in the process, wrecked the Bucs' shot at the playoffs.

Because the Bucs finished 10-6 and just out of the playoffs last year, the national headlines will likely focus on whether they can repeat and improve upon their performance.

The real story, though, is about two teams at the point of their rebuilding where they should start seeing consistent success. Which of them will start their season off on the right foot? Is either one of them for real in 2011?

Week 2: Lions Take on Chiefs for First Time Since Historic Losing Streak

The last time Detroit and Kansas City squared off, Brodie Croyle was the leading passer, Tony Gonzalez the leading receiver and T.J. Duckett the leading rusher.

That was December 23, 2007. If the date seems somehow familiar to you, it's because the Lions' 25-20 victory over Kansas City that day was the last taste of victory Lions fans had until September 27, 2009, more than 21 months later. Expect to hear about this as game day approaches (or perhaps as an aside during the telecast).

This will be the Lions' second straight game against a surprise 2010 success team, and just like Tampa Bay, Kansas City will come out looking to prove their legitimacy. Of course, the Lions have a lot of preseason hype surrounding them, so they come into the game with something to prove as well.

This game will likely be framed in much the same way as the first game. One team is fighting to be put on the map, the other is fighting to prove it deserves to stay on the map.

A secondary storyline that will almost certainly be touched on is Gunther Cunningham going against his former team for the first time since leaving the Chiefs to become the Lions defensive coordinator in 2009.

Week 3: Donovan McNabb Looks To Improve Upon Previous Performance vs. Lions

I'm reaching here, because there's no guarantee Donovan McNabb plays in this game over Christian Ponder.

That said, it seems implausible that McNabb would sign a one-year deal with a team that won't let him play. Especially when that team is the Minnesota Vikings. So, I'm going with McNabb as the starter in this game.

And McNabb would probably be thrilled to find some kind of happy medium between his last two starts against Detroit.

Last year with the Redskins, he was pedestrian, going 17-for-30 with a touchdown and an interception. When it came time to run the potential game-winning two-minute drill, he was benched in a decision that won the Lions the game on the very next play.

Of course, the game before that (with the Eagles in 2007) was one of McNabb's best performances ever. He was 21-for-26, threw for 386 yards and four touchdowns, and led his offense to 56 points, 42 of which came in the first half.

This will be McNabb's third consecutive start against Detroit with a different team, and it will be interesting to see if he leans toward either extreme in this game.

Although the Lions pretty well dominated the Vikings in Week 17 last year, they still have a losing streak at the Metrodome that dates back to the 20th century, and a road losing streak within the NFC North that dates back to 2007. They'll be looking to snap both in this game.

Week 4: Stafford, Romo Square off in Battle of 2010 Injured QBs

The Lions' game against the Dallas Cowboys last year is one most Lions fans would rather forget. I think most watched the game with blank stares, anyway.

It was a low point in the season. Matthew Stafford had been re-injured against the Jets a couple of weeks prior, after which point the Lions lost a heartbreaker (in more ways than one) in overtime.

The Lions followed up that performance by coming out flat and granting the Buffalo Bills their first win of the season.

Then the Lions went to Dallas and, at 2-7, once again out of the playoff hunt before December, lost to a team employing Jon Kitna and Roy Williams. Meanwhile, running their road losing streak to the current NFL-record 26 games.

It was a thoroughly disgraceful performance, in which every Lion on the field acted like they had better things to do.

Of course, ask a Cowboys fan, and that might be how they sum up the entire 2010 season.

This season should be different for both the Cowboys and Lions. That game last year was irrelevant to both teams, as they each came in with 2-7 records, injured starting quarterbacks and dashed hopes for the season.

This year, we should (knock on wood) get to see what we expected last year. Two capable, could-be star quarterbacks, each trying to answer questions about their durability and long-term success.

On a side note, Stafford went to high school in a suburb of Dallas, so that could pop up at some point in a little feature piece.

Week 5: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions on Monday Night!

Monday Night Football. That's what this game is about, and nothing more.

There might be some talk about the Lions trying to supplant the Bears as the Packers' greatest threat in the division (depending on how the season starts), but ultimately, this is about the Lions getting Monday Night Football for the first time in a decade.

We'll discuss all the other stuff later, while we're hanging around water coolers talking about how awesome it was watching the Lions on Monday Night Football.

Week 6: Lions Face 49ers Led by Different Coach for Third Time in Four Years

The Lions played the San Francisco 49ers led by Mike Nolan in 2008 and lost.

The Lions played the San Francisco 49ers led by Mike Singletary in 2009 and lost.

Now the Lions look to take on the San Francisco 49ers led by Jim Harbaugh and change their fortunes.

Look for a mention or two of how Harbaugh, the former Stanford coach and University of Michigan quarterback, was being recruited by the Wolverines before he made his decision to go pro, also.

This might be the first game the Lions are really heavily favored to win this year (though that could also be Minnesota; it depends on how the season plays out), so it may be fun to see what the betting line on the game will be.

Also, there are rumors of Daunte Culpepper possibly signing with the 49ers. If that happens, it blows every other storyline right off the page, especially if Culpepper ends up somehow starting this game.

Week 7: Lions Look To Silence Doubters Against 2010's Top NFC Seed

The Atlanta Falcons enter the 2011 season alongside the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers for preseason Super Bowl favorite for the NFC.

After the Falcons finished an impressive 13-3 in the regular season, they fell flat in an embarrassing loss to the eventual champion Packers in their first playoff game.

The Falcons are hoping to rectify that by addressing their only major need in the offseason: explosiveness.

The Falcons were above average in just about everything last year, but excelled in nothing. So they traded away the top half of their next two drafts to get Julio Jones, whom the Falcons hope will take their passing game from good to elite.

Regardless of the fortunes of these two teams up to this point, the Lions will be looking to beat the Falcons, by far the toughest team on their schedule to this point, as a way to show the NFL that they're for real.

The Lions should be well rested and prepared for this game, as it is the third game in a three-game homestand. That's three weeks at Ford Field without having to allot a day for travel. The Lions couldn't ask for a better opportunity to take down 2010's best regular-season NFC team.

Week 8: Something Something Tim Tebow Something

Don't expect to hear much about the Lions this week. The love affair with Tim Tebow is still in full swing.

It doesn't matter if Kyle Orton throws for 550 yards and seven touchdowns the week before; everyone is still going to ask if this week is Tebow Time (if it isn't already).

Frankly, I can't help but hope we do see Tebow. The defense could set some single-game records.

In the time it'll take me to write this, Tebow could get halfway through his throwing motion. That's enough time for the Lions to sack him twice.

Trash talk aside, Tebow is one of the most talked-about players in the NFL, and regardless of whether he's playing or sitting, he will almost be one of the biggest stories this week, and every week, until the inevitable end of his career a few years from now.

Week 10: Lions Return to Soldier Field To Avenge "Process of the Catch" Game

It has been nearly a full calendar year, and it's still hard to swallow the "Process of the Catch" game.

That was the game that sent the Lions on the way to losing their first five games of the season and the Bears on the way to sneaking in the back door to win the division.

This time, the Lions will come off their Week 9 bye and head back to Soldier Field for the first time since the 2010 opener. Like many games in the latter half of the season, the perception of this game is going to depend heavily on how the two teams have fared to this point.

Since these are the two teams widely considered to be battling it out for the right to be the biggest threat to the Packers, and I can't guarantee that the Bears' inevitable implosion will start before next season, there is ample opportunity for postseason-related subplots here.

Because of that, this could actually be a game that the rest of the country cares about.

Go figure.

Week 11: Stafford, Newton Clash in Battle of No. 1 Overall QBs

This situation happened last year, when the Lions and Rams faced off. It should have been a situation where the top overall picks from two consecutive years face one another as starting quarterbacks of their respective teams.

Instead, Shaun Hill got the start for the injured Matthew Stafford, and Sam Bradford had perhaps his worst game as a pro as the Lions rolled over the Rams 44-6.

This time (let's all knock on wood just once more), we should actually get a showdown between top picks—with Stafford and Cam Newton. Lions fans will hope the result is roughly the same as the last time they saw the No. 1 overall rookie (see above).

Say what you want about JaMarcus Cam Newton, but he was the top pick in the 2011 draft, and if he doesn't start the season for the Panthers, he should be in by Week 11, if only for game experience.

This game can be a good exercise in his skills after being flushed out of the pocket.

Week 12: Lions Look To End Thanksgiving Losing Streak, Win Two Straight vs. Pack

If this game lives up to its billing, it could be the best game not only of the day, but the whole week.

That will shut up some of the critics of the Lions' Thanksgiving tradition. Admittedly, defending the Lions on Thanksgiving has been difficult lately. They continue to lay eggs on the biggest stage they get all year, and people who have no vested interest in watching the Lions play are tired of seeing bad football.

That's fair, and the defense that it moves in cyclical fashion is wearing thin, since the Lions haven't won a Thanksgiving game since 2003 (incidentally, that was also against the Packers, so that will likely come up at some point as well).

The Lions really just need to play a good, entertaining game—win or lose—to keep the critics quiet. But it's worth noting that if they win, it'll be two straight against the defending Super Bowl champs.

A winning streak against the Packers? Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

Week 13: Detroit To Play Super Bowl Champion for Second Consecutive Week

On Thanksgiving, the Lions will play the winners of Super Bowl XLV, the Green Bay Packers.

The following week, they'll pack up and play the winners of Super Bowl XLIV, the New Orleans Saints.

Just feel fortunate the Steelers aren't on the schedule this year.

Also worth noting is that Jim Schwartz and Stafford both opened their Lions careers against the Saints in the 2009 opener.

This will be the first time either has seen the Saints since then, which might give it some symbolic meaning about the Lions "turning a corner" if they're able to pull out a win (since the Saints whipped the Lions by 18 in 2009 on the way to winning the Super Bowl).

Week 14: Can Christian Ponder Tame the Lions Defense?

I'm taking some serious liberties with this projection by calling a midseason quarterback change for the Vikings.

The way I see it, Donovan McNabb ought to start the season. The Vikings wouldn't have bothered signing him if he was destined to sit the bench, and rookie Christian Ponder is widely thought to need some time to get his legs under him at the pro level.

However, deep down, head coach Lezlie Frazier probably thinks he can propel his current team to some success under McNabb. Most likely, 10-12 games will be enough to eliminate any notion of the Vikings playing for the postseason, and if Frazier thinks about his team (rather than his veteran QB, like his predecessor did), he'll play the rookie to get him some seasoning for next year.

If it goes this way, Ponder will get his first start sometime in the latter half of the season, which means he'll probably be in for the Vikings' Week 14 showdown at Ford Field.

Based on pure conjecture and the Vikings' offseason moves, the Vikings offensive line isn't likely to be a league-leading unit, and therefore much of the talk this week will be about whether Ponder can handle the inevitable pressure brought by the Lions' vaunted defensive line.

Because of that pressure, this may well be Ponder's toughest game all year (if he plays it like I expect). How he handles it will go a long way toward establishing whether he can be successful, not just in the NFL, but in the pass-rush-happy NFC North.

Week 15: Battle of the Up-and-Coming Teams

The last time the Lions played the Oakland Raiders, you could have called it many things.

It was the Super Bowl of irrelevance. A battle between the most consistently terrible teams in the AFC and NFC. A faceoff between teams with the worst-run teams in in the NFL, if not all North American sports.

This year, it may well be different.

The 2010 season was equal parts exciting and disappointing for both teams. The Raiders won six games by sweeping their division, but went 2-8 in the rest of the league for an 8-8 finish (still a major improvement).

The Lions played almost the entire year without their prospective franchise player and started 2-10 before coming together and running off four wins to close the season.

Both teams will be looking to build on their 2010 performance in this game, and with only three games left in the season, this game could have serious playoff implications for one or both teams.

That almost sounds like a joke. The idea that Lions-Raiders in December would be a meaningful game is laughable to anyone who has watched the last decade of football. But if each team has the kind of development they expect, it's certainly plausible.

Week 16: Lions Attempt To Cool off Chargers in Final Regular-Season Home Game

On Christmas Eve, the San Diego Chargers will take a trip to Ford Field.

It figures that if the Lions absolutely had to play the Chargers, it would be in the second-to-last game of the season. The Chargers, who have a tendency to take the first half of the season off, usually become world-beaters by about Week 15.

That strategy wasn't enough for them to come on strong and win the division in 2010, as has been their calling card in recent years, but it probably won't stop them from trying in 2011.

The Lions are right on those train tracks, but they might just match up. After all, it was the Lions, not the Chargers, that finished 2010 on a four-game winning streak. There's no guarantee either team is that hot again at this point in December, but it's something to watch for.

Both these teams are expected to break out in 2011, and it's entirely possible that this game (like the last) has playoff implications.

I know I'm getting ahead of myself here, but how great would it be if this game got flex scheduled, and the Lions ended up with a second Monday night game?

Week 17: Lions Attempt To Snap Lambeau Losing Streak

This will be the game story on Lions-Packers until the Honolulu Blue finally snaps the horrific stretch of Lambeau losses that date back to before Brett Favre.

But this is an interesting case. The Packers, heavily favored to do whatever they want this year, could already be locked into playoff position by Week 17.

The Lions, expected to maybe possibly be fighting for a playoff spot, could be facing a "win and in" situation by this point. Barring that, if there is any scenario that involves the Lions making the playoffs, it likely involves them winning this game.

Week 17, at Lambeau Field—it will be cold. Possibly snowy and slippery. In the likely event that the Packers have nothing to gain by winning this game, with heightened chances of injury, will they rest/hold out their starters?

Or will they play this like a regular game? And would they be doing it to keep the Lions out of the playoffs? To keep the Lambeau winning streak alive?

It's a fair assumption that the 2011 Lions will handily defeat the 2011 Packers' second string. Last year, the Lions' second (third, at quarterback) string basically beat the Packers' second string.

So there is an interesting dynamic here. Would the Packers mail this game in, in the interest of conserving their players for a postseason run? Even at the cost of defending their home field against a team that has found it unassailable? Even if they let a team into the playoffs that could come back to bite them?

Depending on the dynamic, this could become one of the most interesting games to watch all year. And I don't just mean in Detroit—I mean NFL-wide.