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

Jared Goff is in the conversation for being one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in the NFL. After a spectacular 15-2 season that ended a bit prematurely against the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round, the Detroit Lions and Goff are looking to get right back to their winning ways and set course for another journey towards making the Super Bowl in 2025.

The issue? The NFL has decided that they, too, believe that the Lions have one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and they're having him face quite the gauntlet of teams - and quarterbacks - to get through a brutal first half of the season. The Lions' schedule release is proof of just that.

Taking just one look at the top half of their schedule will have your eyes pop. The teams they face - mostly on the road - will truly test Goff and the teams' newly run offense against some of the best teams from the 2024 season.

Lions' top half of schedule means Goff has to really lock in to avoid disaster

The Lions begin their season on the road against NFC North rival Green Bay Packers, and then have an immediate back to back road trip against the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5 and 6. In between those games, they'll be facing off with the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears. Perhaps their only "easy" game between Week 1 and 6 comes against the Cleveland Browns at home.

Prior to their BYE week in Week 8, they're on the road for four of their seven contests, and all of their road games are against pretty great opponents. It'll be a true quarterback duel for most of this portion of the schedule, with Goff set to battle Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Caleb Johnson, Jordan Love, Baker Mayfield, and whoever starts for the Browns.

Read more: NFL gives Lions perfect chance to reassert NFC North control in Week 1

Now, this first part to the Lions' schedule is a bit of a help for them and Goff down the stretch. For starters, it means less outdoors contests for the quarterback who notoriously struggles in games without a controlled weather environment. They'll be at home for half of their games after their BYE.

Here's the bad news: some of their road games are against the Philadelphia Eagles (where it gets cold), the Washington Commanders (again, cold), and the Chicago Bears (do we even have to say it?). Those are three winter contests that you cannot bet on being clean weather games for Detroit.

This makes it all the more important for the Lions to win most of their first half of season games - they cannot rely on these road trips being games that Goff thrives in.

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