Detroit Lions 2026 Travel Schedule
The Detroit Lions travel 19,100 round-trip miles in 2026, 16th most of the 32 teams, with 3 short weeks, 1 kickoff before 11 a.m. on the body clock, and a bye in Week 6. Week 18's game time has not been announced yet, so rest and local kickoff details will update once the league sets the finale.
Full Detroit Lions 2027 opponents and schedule history
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Detroit Lions travel miles 2026 by week
Home: Ford Field, Detroit. Miles are round trips from home. Body clock shows the kickoff in Detroit time, so you can see how early or late the game feels to the Lions.
| Week2026 | Opponentvs = home | Venuecity | Rest dayssince last game | Milesround trip | Time zonescrossed | Body clockhome-time kickoff | Notessituations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1 | vs NO | Detroit | — | 0 | 0 | 1:00 PM | |
| W2 | @ BUF | Orchard Park | 4 | 440 | 0 | 8:15 PM | Short |
| W3 | vs NYJ | Detroit | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1:00 PM | Long rest |
| W4 | @ CAR | Charlotte | 7 | 1,020 | 0 | 8:20 PM | |
| W5 | @ ARI | Glendale | 7 | 3,380 | 3 | 4:25 PM | B2B road |
| W6 | BYE | ||||||
| W7 | vs GB | Detroit | 14 | 0 | 0 | 4:25 PM | Long rest |
| W8 | vs MIN | Detroit | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1:00 PM | |
| W9 | @ MIA | Miami Gardens | 7 | 2,280 | 0 | 1:00 PM | |
| W10 | vs NE | Munich (Allianz Arena) | 7 | 8,640 | 6 | 9:30 AM | Early · Intl |
| W11 | vs TB | Detroit | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1:00 PM | |
| W12 | vs CHI | Detroit | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1:00 PM | Short |
| W13 | @ ATL | Atlanta | 10 | 1,200 | 0 | 1:00 PM | Long rest |
| W14 | vs TEN | Detroit | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1:00 PM | |
| W15 | @ MIN | Minneapolis | 7 | 1,080 | 1 | 8:20 PM | |
| W16 | vs NYG | Detroit | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8:15 PM | Long rest |
| W17 | @ CHI | Chicago | 6 | 480 | 1 | 4:25 PM | Short |
| W18 | @ GB | Green Bay | TBD | 580 | 1 | TBD | B2B road |
- Miles (round trip):
- 19,100
- Short weeks (under 7 days rest):
- 3
- Early kickoffs (before 11 a.m. body clock):
- 1
- Longest road trip (games):
- 2
- Longest home gap (days):
- 28
- Time zones crossed:
- 12
- International games:
- 1
Detroit Lions short weeks 2026
- Week 2, at Buffalo Bills: 4 days after the previous game, 440 miles round trip.
- Week 12, vs Chicago Bears: 4 days after the previous game.
- Week 17, at Chicago Bears: 6 days after the previous game, 480 miles round trip.
How NFL travel miles are calculated
Each road game counts as its own round trip from the team’s home stadium, even when a team plays consecutive road games. Home games count zero. Neutral-site and international games are measured from home. MockSlate measures each trip from Ford Field as the crow flies, rounded to ten miles. All 32 teams ranked →
Detroit Lions rest advantage 2026 by week
Since 2002, home teams win 56% of games with even rest. With a rest edge of three days or more that rises to 58%. On the short side of three days or more it drops to 53%.
| Week2026 | Opponentvs = home | Own restdays | Opp restdays | Edgeown − opp | Situationlabel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1 | vs NO | — | — | ||
| W2 | @ BUF | 4 | 4 | 0 | |
| W3 | vs NYJ | 10 | 7 | +3 | |
| W4 | @ CAR | 7 | 7 | 0 | |
| W5 | @ ARI | 7 | 7 | 0 | |
| W6 | BYE | ||||
| W7 | vs GB | 14 | 7 | +7 | Off bye |
| W8 | vs MIN | 7 | 7 | 0 | |
| W9 | @ MIA | 7 | 7 | 0 | |
| W10 | vs NE | 7 | 7 | 0 | |
| W11 | vs TB | 7 | 14 | -7 | |
| W12 | vs CHI | 4 | 4 | 0 | |
| W13 | @ ATL | 10 | 7 | +3 | |
| W14 | vs TEN | 7 | 7 | 0 | |
| W15 | @ MIN | 7 | 10 | -3 | |
| W16 | vs NYG | 8 | 8 | 0 | |
| W17 | @ CHI | 6 | 9 | -3 | |
| W18 | @ GB | TBD | TBD | TBD |
A positive number means Detroit has more rest than its opponent; a negative number means the opponent has more rest. Week 1 has no comparison because neither team has played yet. Thursday games are often even because both teams are coming off the same short week.
Detroit has even rest across the 2026 schedule, ranking 16th in the league.
Detroit Lions games off a bye 2026
- Week 7, vs Green Bay Packers: 14 days of rest against the opponent’s 7, an edge of +7.
NFL win rate by rest advantage since 2002
Here’s how NFL teams have actually performed with different amounts of rest since 2002. The table groups games by how many more, or fewer, rest days the home team had than its opponent. The Even line is the normal home-field baseline.
| Home rest edgedays vs the visitor | Gamessince 2002 | Home recordW-L-T | Home win %ties half |
|---|---|---|---|
| −3 or worse | 650 | 345-303-2 | 53.2% |
| −2 to −1 | 469 | 269-198-2 | 57.6% |
| Even | 3,790 | 2131-1653-6 | 56.3% |
| +1 to +2 | 364 | 199-165 | 54.7% |
| +3 or more | 565 | 326-237-2 | 57.9% |
Sample: 5,838 regular-season games from 2002 to 2025 where rest could be calculated for both teams. Week 1 is excluded.
Detroit Lions hardest stretch of the 2026 schedule
The Lions’ hardest three-game stretch is Weeks 15 to 17: @MIN, NYG, @CHI, at an average model win chance of 54.3%, 32nd hardest three-game run in the league. The ranking uses MockSlate’s projected win chances, which already account for home field and rest.
Remaining schedule: opponents .561, 4th hardest by record; favored in 8 of 11.
Playoff picture: alive, magic number 14 for the division and 11 for a playoff spot.
Who Lions fans should root for this week
The Lions’ record in cold and hot weather since 1999
Hardest 3-game stretch: Weeks 15 to 17, @MIN, NYG, @CHI. Average win chance 54.3%.
Easiest 3-game stretch: Weeks 3 to 5, NYJ, @CAR, @ARI. Average win chance 71%.
These are MockSlate model numbers, not sportsbook lines. All 32 teams ranked by hardest stretch →
Detroit Lions primetime games 2026 and since 2002
The Lions have 4 primetime games in 2026, tied for 11th most in the league, and have averaged 1.7 per season since 2002. That is down from 6 in 2025. Their primetime record since 2002 is 20-20 (50.0%). Week 18's game time has not been announced yet.
Which Lions games can still be flexed
| Week2026 | Windowbroadcast window | Opponentvs = home | KickoffEastern | Model linespread · win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W2 | Thursday Night Football | @ Buffalo Bills | Thu, Sep 17, 8:15 PM ET | +3.5 · 37% |
| W4 | Sunday Night Football | @ Carolina Panthers | Sun, Oct 4, 8:20 PM ET | -2.5 · 59% |
| W15 | Sunday Night Football | @ Minnesota Vikings | Sun, Dec 20, 8:20 PM ET | +1.5 · 45% |
| W16 | Monday Night Football | vs New York Giants | Mon, Dec 28, 8:15 PM ET | -6.5 · 72% |
Windows: Thursday night, Sunday night, Monday night, and other night windows (the opener, holiday nights, Saturday night). Lines are MockSlate model numbers from the current ratings snapshot, not sportsbook lines. All 32 teams by primetime games → Every Lions primetime and holiday game since 1966 →
Other teams: BUF · MIA · NE · NYJ · BAL · CIN · CLE · PIT · HOU · IND · JAX · TEN · DEN · KC · LAC · LV · DAL · NYG · PHI · WAS · CHI · GB · MIN · ATL · CAR · NO · TB · ARI · LAR · SEA · SF
Updated: September 29, 2026