For the second straight season, the Detroit Lions will play three of their first four games on the road.
Two of those road games this fall are at division opponents – at Green Bay on Sept. 25 and at Chicago on Oct. 2.
The Lions open at the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 11, a homecoming of sorts for coach Jim Caldwell who was the Colts head coach for three seasons.
In 2015 the Lions started the season 0-5 with road games at San Diego, at Minnesota and at Seattle.
The 2016 schedule, which was released by the NFL on Thursday night, features one night game for the Lions. That’s on Monday, Dec. 26, at the Dallas Cowboy where they lost their last playoff game in 2014.
Even though the Vikings, who won the NFC North in 2015, and Lions are division rivals oddly enough they have not played on Thanksgiving since 1995. Their game on Nov. 24 will be the first of three games on the schedule for the holiday.
The Lions will get their first look at U.S. Bank Stadium, the new home of the Vikings, on Nov. 6.
After two straight trips to London for games at Wembley Stadium, the Lions will stay in the United States this season.
Other key road games include at the Texans on Oct. 30, at New Orleans on Dec. 4 and at the New York Giants on Dec. 18.
The Lions will wrap up the season playing the Packers at Ford Field on Sunday, Jan. 1. If it proves to be a key divisional game, that will be a good sign for the Lions who are entering their third season with Caldwell as head coach.
Detroit, which finished with a 7-9 record in 2015, has the NFL’s 27th easiest strength of schedule.
2016 Detroit Lions schedule
(All times 1 p.m. unless noted)
Sept. 11 – at Indianapolis Colts, 4:25 p.m.
Sept. 18 – Tennessee Titans
Sept. 25 – at Green Bay Packers
Oct. 2 – at Chicago Bears
Oct. 9 – Philadelphia Eagles
Oct. 16 – Los Angeles Rams
Oct. 23 – Washington Redskins
Oct. 30 – at Houston Texans
Nov. 6 – at Minnesota Vikings
Nov. 13 – Bye
Nov. 20 – Jacksonville Jaguars
Nov. 24 – Minnesota Vikings, 12:30 p.m.
Dec. 4 – at New Orleans
Dec. 11 – Chicago Bears
Dec. 18 – at N.Y. Giants
Monday, Dec. 26 – at Dallas Cowboys, 8:30 p.m.
Jan. 1 – Green Bay Packers
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