Lions’ 2025 schedule leak drops Christmas Day bomb on NFC North

What a Merry Christmas it shall be in 2025 for the Detroit Lions. We have already seen one major schedule leak in the Lions' Week 1 matchup being revealed.

The latest 2025 schedule leak revealed the Lions are going to be playing on Christmas Day this coming season, but it gets even better.

Detroit will be taking on a bitter rival in the Minnesota Vikings, whom they swept last season. So far, that's two division games revealed with high stakes and Lions players are clearly excited.

The Lions get an opportunity to solidify themselves as NFC North favorites on Christmas Day

By that point in the season, the Lions will hopefully be atop the division, if not have the title within reach. It's a Week 17 tilt that could end up deciding not only the division winner but also playoff seeding.

If all goes according to plan, the NFC North should be the toughest division in football. Three playoff teams from 2024 return to defend their playoff berth and the Chicago Bears are one of the most-improved rosters in football thanks to a familiar face to Lions fans, Ben Johnson.

While Christmas Day is often a happy, joyous day, this could turn into a stressful affair for Lions and Vikings fans.

Of course, one of the big caveats for Minnesota has to do with second-year quarterback JJ McCarthy. Their success will hinge directly on the shoulders of McCarthy and whether or not he proves to be "the guy" right away.

Minnesota is placing a world of pressure on the 2024 first-round pick after they opted to let Sam Darnold leave via free agency. Now, they're putting all their eggs in one basket by instilling 100 percent faith in McCarthy.

it'll be his first year as a starter, obviously, after he missed his rookie year due to injury.

The Lions, meanwhile, have larger looming question marks within their coaching staff. Now that they've watched Johnson leave, along with Aaron Glenn and several other assistants, it'll be up to Dan Campbell to prove that they can continue what they've started.