Billy Joel helped out the Lions big time when it comes to their schedule, yes, we're talking about the piano man

Legendary artist Billy Joel and former Fleetwood Mac member Stevie Nicks were set to play Ford Field in March of this year, but they had to shuffle plans around and postpone the concert to November 15th. (A day after my birthday, I may ask for this as a present.)

Normally, that wouldn't be a big deal or present an issue, but for NFL schedule makers, it did, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer. 

"Billy Joel’s rescheduled tour threw a wrench into a couple of dates in the fall. And maybe the more interesting story was how the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders worked together on Week 2. Jim Harbaugh’s group will be returning from Brazil and, after that, the league wanted to have them at home. The problem was that SoFi Stadium had a block that weekend because of a Chris Brown concert. Allegiant Stadium in Vegas had a block, too.

But rather than throw their hands up and go back to the drawing board, the Chargers went to work with their division rivals, who agreed to work around the stadium commitment to make sure the teams could play on the second Monday night of the season in Vegas. Which allows for the Chargers, without the shot to play at home, to have a short trip after a much, much longer one."

One of those dates that Billy Joel threw a wrench into was November 16th. The Lions could have potentially had a home game on that Sunday after a trip to Washington the previous week, but instead they'll leave Ford Field in the hands of the piano man and head out to Philly to take on the Eagles on Sunday Night Football. 

It all works out in the end, though, and maybe for the better. The Lions get three straight home games after that, and because they couldn't be in their building, they get to knock out one of the outdoor games in early November instead of mid to late December. They also get to get one of their hardest opponents out of the way before the late-season push. 

After Philly, the Lions have six straight indoor games before their Week 18 finale with the Bears. Thanks, Billy Joel!