The Detroit Lions have established themselves as one of the darlings of the NFL, and there's been a concerted effort by the league in recent years to showcase one of the most likable teams around.
While losing both coordinators (Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson) following a stunning loss to the Washington Commanders hurts, there's no doubt that the Lions can once again challenge for a Lombardi Trophy when it's all said in done.
What fans may not realize yet, however, is how the NFL schedule-makers actually did Detroit a huge favor that gives them a unique advantage over every other team in 2025.
Lions Have Best Rest Advantage in NFL in 2025
As pointed out by Billy Riccette of Lions Wire, the Lions have the best net rest advantage of any organization in the 2025 schedule. What that means is that when you compare every team's schedule and factor in the days of rest they'll have between games, no team has a larger edge than Detroit.
They have five games against teams coming off Monday Night Football, indicating only six days of rest. Those squads are the Chicago Bears in Week 2, Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5, Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6, Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11, and Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16. Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Philadelphia represent three of the most difficult matchups on Detroit's schedule, so that's a big deal.
Additionally, the Lions have three games in which they’re either coming off their bye (Week 9 vs. the Minnesota Vikings) or coming off a de facto bye after playing a Thursday game the week prior (Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams and Week 18 against the Bears once again).
At the very least, the Lions will have some sort of advantage. That some of these games come so late in the season helps as well, and should prepare a deep team like Detroit well for a gauntlet of a schedule. If the Lions fall short, then fans won't be able to argue that the NFL didn't throw them a bone.