2019 Detroit Lions Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

The Detroit Lions went 6-10 under first-year head coach Matt Patricia last season.

Injuries on both sides of the ball took a toll, namely to wideout Marvin Jones Jr. and edge-rusher Ezekiel Ansah.

However, Detroit also finished no higher than 20th in offensive, defensive or special teams efficiency, per Football Outsiders.

The Lions do have some promising young talent that could prevent a third straight season out of the postseason.

Notably, running back Kerryon Johnson, defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand and offensive guard Frank Ragnow will take the field following solid rookie starts.

Wideout Kenny Golladay also emerged as a bona fide No. 1 wideout in his second season thanks to 70 receptions for 1,063 yards and five touchdowns.

Here's a look at the Lions' complete regular-season schedule.

Lions' 2019 Schedule

Week 1 (Sunday, Sept. 8): at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox)

Week 2 (Sunday, Sept. 15): vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 3 (Sunday, Sept. 22): at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)

Week 4 (Sunday, Sept. 29): vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)

Week 5: BYE

Week 6 (Monday, Oct. 14): at Green Bay Packers, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Week 7 (Sunday, Oct. 20): vs. Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)

Week 8 (Sunday, Oct. 27): vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)

Week 9 (Sunday, Nov. 3): at Oakland Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET (Fox)

Week 10 (Sunday, Nov. 10): at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Week 11 (Sunday, Nov. 17): vs. Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)

Week 12 (Sunday, November 24): at Washington Redskins, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)

Week 13 (Thursday, Nov. 28): vs. Chicago Bears, 12:30 p.m. ET (Fox)

Week 14 (Sunday, Dec. 8): at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)

Week 15 (Sunday, Dec. 15): vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m ET (Fox)

Week 16 (Saturday, Dec. 21, or Sunday, Dec. 22): at Denver Broncos, Time TBD (TV TBD)

Week 17 (Sunday, Dec. 29): vs. Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)

Analysis

The Lions' slate looks manageable at first glance.

The NFC North matchups should be as tough as usual, but the Lions also play four fellow last-place teams in the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Detroit also has the benefit of hosting the 12-4 Kansas City Chiefs and 12-4 Los Angeles Chargers. A road win at Kansas City or Los Angeles would seemingly present a near-impossible task, but the Lions could have a puncher's chance at home against either side.

Still, the Lions face an uphill climb to return to the postseason given the divisional slate. The Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers are three of 10 teams to have 22-1 odds or better to win Super Bowl LIV, per Vegas Insider. The trio of teams could end up being weaker than the sportsbooks imply, but at first glance, that trio should be strong next year.

Pivotal Matchups

Lions vs. Giants

The Lions can't afford to lose games where they'll likely be favored, which could be the case at home versus the 5-11 New York Giants in a Week 8 matchup.

The G-Men traded star wideout Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, and their Super Bowl odds plummeted in response to 125-1, or fourth-worst in the league.

Of course, games aren't played on paper, but a loss to the Giants could be deflating if preseason predictions about the team come to fruition.

The Lions also welcome wideout Golden Tate back to Detroit.

The 30-year-old played five-plus seasons in Detroit before a 2018 midseason trade to the Philadelphia Eagles, averaging 93 receptions, 1,056 yards and five touchdowns in his four full seasons. He left Philadelphia via free agency and signed a four-year deal with Big Blue in the offseason.

The Lions made the postseason twice during his tenure.

Lions vs. Vikings

The Lions lost twice to the Vikings last year by a combined score of 51-18. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked 10 times in the first matchup and threw for just 116 yards in the second.

Simply put, the Lions' passing attack can't falter if the Lions are to rebound this season.

The issue is the Vikings present a tough matchup for Detroit. The formidable defense can get after the quarterback, and stopping them has proved to be an impossible task for the Lions offensive line.

On the bright side, the Vikings offense wasn't dominant in their two wins over Detroit. The Lions defense played well in their 27-9 loss minus a first-half ending Hail Mary to tight end Kyle Rudolph. Detroit also allowed just 283 yards from scrimmage versus Minnesota in the 24-9 defeat.

If the defense steps up again and the offense can gain some traction (preferably on the ground through Johnson), then we could see a surprising result here.

Lions vs. Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be one of the NFL's most notable teams to watch before and during the season.

Bruce Arians, who led the Arizona Cardinals to a 49-30-1 record over five seasons, now leads the team.

Tampa Bay should also add a top prospect with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft, preferably one to boost a defense that allowed the second-most points in the league last season.

The Bucs could be on the rebound with Arians now coaching, but it's also possible that Tampa Bay misses the playoffs for the 12th straight year.

If the Bucs are a losing team, then the Lions simply have to take advantage at home and pick up a win en route to their playoff push.