Lions fans can't help but groan at layup of a road schedule handed to NFC rival

The NFC North is going to be very competitive in 2025. The Detroit Lions aren't the only team in this pool with postseason aspirations, although they might be the only one actually built for a deep run in the playoffs. Still, the competitiveness from this typically tough nosed division is going to be cranked up in 2025.

Detroit has to be able to manage high expectations when facing off with their NFC North rivals. They didn't get anything done in 2024 when they dismantled the division, and it's going to be harder to name games against the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears as presumed wins. These will be battles, and the division is better for it.

However, the NFL decided to really lean into the Lions frenzy forming across the league and hand Detroit one of the worst road schedules you will ever see - and, they gave the Packers one of the easiest road schedules. Green Bay is primed to get handed the division thanks to the schedule makers.

Green Bay gift-wrapped an amazing road schedule while Lions struggle

Detroit's road schedule is by far the toughest in the league. If you can't wrap your head around that, take a look at this handy graphic created by Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analytics. If you look all the way in the bottom right hand corner of the graphic, you see the Lions' logo sitting in the worst possible quadrant for road schedule difficulty.

At the tippy top of this graphic, you'll note that Green Bay is sitting just under the Los Angeles Chargers for easiest projected road schedule.

Read more: NFL forces Jared Goff to run the gauntlet to avoid immediate disaster in 2025

Detroit shouldn't want or care for any easy ways into the postseason. If anything, after their embarrassing loss to the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round in 2024, they should want to be more battle tested prior to the postseason - which, yes, despite how horrendous this road schedule is, is a goal they should reach.

But, it just seems a bit absurd on paper to expect them to get through this road gauntlet while the Packers get to essentially coast through their road schedule and earn some wins against the Lions in the divisional standings. It's making an already tough division even harder for Detroit to handle.

Anything can happen, though, and upsets are one of the best parts of football. The Packers may very well turn their cakewalk of a road schedule into a nightmare, while Detroit handles their road games with authority. Right now, though, it just feels ridiculous.

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