Detroit Lions 2012 Schedule: 5 Toughest Road Games

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“It's a dangerous business, stepping outside your front door. You never know where you might get swept off to”
― Frodo Baggins, in J.R.R. Tolkien's, The Lord of the Rings

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Actually it's a quote from Bilbo which Frodo mentions..... OK I'm a huge nerd. I warned you people in the first NFC North entry.

That said, hitting the road is tough, though some venues are clearly tougher than others (no offense Jacksonville).

The Lions don't have any extended road trips, and in fact all their road games are paired so they travel twice, head home, travel twice—rinse/repeat.

They even have a nice little three-game homestand from Week 11 to Week 13.

They have some tough road games though.

Here are the five toughest games they have while wearing their traveling shoes. These are culled using this article from ESPN last June, things I've read from players and in some cases, my own experiences attending games.

Week 2—San Francisco 49ers

While San Fran isn't the toughest of venues in many ways, it's going to easily edge out Tennessee, Jacksonville and Arizona.

Given the success of the Niners in 2011 and the early date of this game, the fans at 'The Stick' should be extra amped up and filled with belief that this is their year.

Hopefully people leave the guns home.

The travel across the country isn't as bad for Detroit as it is for, say, the Giants or Eagles but it's not short.

It should be a fairly tough game anyway as the 49ers defense is no joke and Coach Jim Harbaugh has the offense running very effectively.

The Lions will have their hands full on the field in what should be a raucous stadium. It'll be a tough place to play based on expectation and crowd, but it's not the toughest spot.

Not by a long shot.

Week 10—Minnesota Vikings

The Metrodome has been ranked as tough place to play and it can be—but it definitely gets knocked down a few pegs because the team has been less than awesome which can sap a crowd of energy.

That said, the 'dome still can make things tough on an opposing team and the game can be a critical one for a team about to take on the Packers twice in a month as well as the Texans.

It'll be tougher than San Fran because of the history and the division hatred, but it's not the toughest game on the road.

Week 6—Philadelphia Eagles

This would be No. 2 on the list, maybe even vie for the top spot, if the game were later in the season and not just after a bye week.

More on the line for both the Eagles and Lions would make Lincoln Financial Field one heckuva place to play for Detroit, not that it's a cakewalk anyway.

You've heard the stories about the fans at The Linc and, to some extent, they are overblown. You don't want to put all the Iggles fans in the same category, though undoubtedly there are some bad apples.

It is a rough place to be the opposing team though, even if the fans can't pour beer on your head.

The atmosphere is intense, the fans are loud and the weather could be nasty.

Oh, and the Eagles are nowhere near as bad as they looked in 2011.

If only it were a Week 14 or 16 game.

Alas, it's not.

That might be very lucky for the Lions.

Week 7—Chicago Bears

That look above? That look is the look of every Bears fan when division rival Detroit shows up (if it were Green Bay there'd be flaring nostrils and bared fangs as well).

Soldier Field is no joke.

Like the Eagles game, this would be more intense if it were much later and not a couple of weeks post bye.

Still, we all know that the Bears can be a tough team with the home crowd behind them in what will be (as always) a vital divisional game.

Having been to see Soldier Field, I can say for myself it is a nice stadium inside with some beautiful old parts of the original stadium still standing (although the new outer stadium looks like the alien ships from the miniseries V).

The Lions won't notice as they'll be too busy trying to hear over the crowd.

This will be a tough place to play. Not the toughest though. That's next.

Week 14—Green Bay Packers

Lambeau Field. December. Final stretch of the season. Division rival.

Yeah, this isn't where you want to visit.

The Lions will though, and it's going to be a hard venue to play in. You can add the potential extra energy brought on by things like a division title, home field and bye weeks as well.

The crowd is about as intense as you will find anywhere, they love their Packers and hate the rest of the division in that friendly way Wisconsinites act when they're giving you poisoned bratwurst.

Oh yeah, I've gotten to know these folks well the last few years.

Seriously though, this is a hard venue in the best of times, early in the season when the weather is fair and the crowd only just getting into it.

This late into the season will be extra hard. The Packers feed off that crowd energy, and the noise during the opposition's cadence is enough to knock a filling loose.

The Lions will have no tougher road game this coming season.