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Detroit Lions 2016 Schedule: Opponents Are Set

By Zac Snyder

Nov 22, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; General view of Ford Field during the game between the Oakland Raiders and the Detroit Lions. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 22, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; General view of Ford Field during the game between the Oakland Raiders and the Detroit Lions. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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The conclusion of the 2015 NFL season locked in the list of opponents who will appear on the Detroit Lions’ 2016 schedule.

The Detroit Lions‘ win over the Chicago Bears did more than lock in their place in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. It also finalized their list of opponents who will appear on the Lions’ 2016 schedule.

Most of the opponents have been known for some time. Home and road division games against the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings make up six of the 16 games on the schedule every year.

The NFL’s division rotation for scheduling locks in another eight games simply based on the calendar. 2016 marks the NFC North’s turn to match up with the NFC East and AFC South, so the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans will appear on the schedules of all four NFC North teams.

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That leaves just two games to be determined based on the results of the 2015 season. By virtue of finishing third in the NFC North, the Lions will draw the third place finisher in the NFC conferences not already on the schedule. For 2016, that’s the NFC South and NFC West.

The Rams were locked into third place in the NFC West entering week 17 while the 49ers were locked into last place. That left the NFC West opponent to be determined solely by yesterday’s Lions-Bears game. With the win to finish in third place in the NFC North, the Lions add the Rams to their home slate.

The road game at the NFC South opponent was dependent on the outcome of three games in week 17: Lions-Bears, Saints-Falcons and Bucs-Panthers. The Lions and Saints both got wins to break what were ties entering week 17 and add each other to their 2016 schedules as a result.

Home opponents: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams

Away opponents: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints

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For now all we know is the who and the where. We won’t know the when until the NFL releases the full regular season weekly schedule in April.

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