2023 Detroit Lions Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

The Detroit Lions are on the rise.

In head coach Dan Campbell's second season at the helm in 2022, the Lions went 9-8, broke a four-season streak of losing records and came close to ending what is now a six-year playoff drought.

The Lions stayed busy this offseason, bolstering the secondary with C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Cameron Sutton in free agency and Alabama's Brian Branch in the draft. They also drastically altered the running backs room by signing David Montgomery and drafting Alabama speedster Jahmyr Gibbs. D'Andre Swift was then traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, while Jamaal Williams signed with the New Orleans Saints.

Alongside Gibbs, the Lions took Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell in the first round and added his college teammate Sam LaPorta at tight end. Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker was the team's third-round pick, though he's likely a long-term replacement option for incumbent Jared Goff, who is only under contract for two more seasons.

Heading into the 2023 season, the Lions are loaded with playmakers on offense like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams (once his six-game suspension is up), Gibbs and LaPorta, among others, and have filled needs on the defensive side of the ball.

Expectations for a playoff berth and even potentially a division crown suddenly aren't unrealistic.

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Lions' 2023 Schedule

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Analysis

In total, the Lions will have seven games against playoff teams from a year ago.

The toughest matchup by far is a road trip to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, while road games against the Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys will be major tests. The New Orleans Saints might be sneaky good as well with Derek Carr upgrading the quarterback position, another potential road hurdle.

Without Tom Brady, however, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appear to be a far less imposing opponent.

At home, the toughest matchups outside the division will be the Seattle Seahawks, a team generally far more daunting at its home digs. Atlanta, Carolina, Denver and Las Vegas all threaten to be improved after disappointing 2023 seasons, but each should be labeled as "winnable" matchups for these Lions.

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Key Matchups

The NFC has enough solid teams that Detroit won't want to take its chances in the wild-card chase again this year. Winning the NFC North is a far safer alternative for reaching the postseason.

The Minnesota Vikings continued a streak of being dangerous in the regular season and toothless in the postseason last year, going one-and-done, but they'll be a threat to win the division in 2023. Two matchups against the Vikings could be the key to Detroit's season.

The Green Bay Packers are a mystery given the uncertainty surrounding quarterback Jordan Love, but they were mediocre with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers last year, and Love is unlikely to be an immediate upgrade. The Lions should consider these matchups winnable, even if a trip to hallowed Lambeau Field is never easy.

And the Bears are rebuilding around Justin Fields, who makes them a threat, but they are a team the Lions should be beating if they truly are a postseason contender. All in all, the NFC North has never felt more within Detroit's reach than it will this upcoming season.