The Lions will be featured on a national level during training camp as the team on Hard Knocks this year.
But once things flip to the regular season, the league has set up the Lions to fade into obscurity.
Detroit is the only team with zero scheduled primetime games in 2022. Of course, the Lions will host their traditional Thanksgiving game that starts at 12:30 ET, this year facing the Bills. All of their other contests will be played at 1 p.m. ET on a Sunday — except for Week 16, when the majority of games will be played on Saturday because Sunday is Christmas Day.
As pointed out by Peter King during Friday’s episode of PFT Live, some teams see a schedule like this as an advantage because it creates routine. It could also provide a little extra motivation, since it gives head coach Dan Campbell fodder to say the team is being disrespected.
The Lions finished 3-13-1 in 2021, Campbell’s first year as head coach. The club went 2-3 in its last five games.
Other teams that may say they’re being disrespected with a lack of primetime games are the Falcons, Giants, Jaguars, Jets, Panthers, and Texans.
The Giants will face off against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football in Week Three and play Dallas for a second time on Thanksgiving.
The Falcons and Panthers play each other on Thursday Night Football, as do the Jets and Jaguars.
The Texans host the Eagles on TNF in November for their only primetime contest.
