The NFL Schedule is out. We now know all the dates and times for all the big games. Let’s take a look at the NFC North schedules.
Detroit
Week 1 – Sept. 10 – vs. Cardinals – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 2 – Sept. 18 – at Giants – 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) – Monday Night Football
Week 3 – Sept. 24 – vs. Falcons – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 4 – Oct. 1 – at Vikings – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 5 – Oct. 8 – vs. Panthers – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 6 – Oct. 15 – at Saints – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 7 – Oct. 22 – BYE
Week 8 – Oct. 29 – vs. Steelers – 8:30 p.m. ET (NBC) – Sunday Night Football
Week 9 – Nov. 6 – at Packers – 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN) – Monday Night Football
Week 10 – Nov. 12 – vs. Browns – 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
Week 11 – Nov. 19 – at Bears – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 12 – Nov. 23 – vs. Vikings – 12:30 p.m. ET (FOX) – Thanksgiving Day
Week 13 – Dec. 3 – at Ravens – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 14 – Dec. 10 – at Buccaneers – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 15 – Dec. 16 – vs. Bears – 4:30 p.m. ET (NFLN) Saturday game
Week 16 – Dec. 24 – at Bengals 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
Week 17 – Dec. 31 – vs. Packers – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
The Lions schedule is pretty evenly paced. Each quarter of the season they have two home and two away games. The Lions earned five national TV games with 3 prime time games. Their Week 7 bye is in a good spot before two big primetime games. Detroit plays five playoff teams from 2016 with three of those games as home. The Lions played five playoff teams last year but four were on the road. Detroit will finish the season hosting Green Bay again which could be a huge clash for the division title again (2014, 2016).
Detroit plays 6 teams with a top 10 offense, 2 with average offenses (11-20) and 8 bad offenses (21st or worst) from 2016. Also, the Lions face 6 teams with top defenses, 2 with average defenses and 8 bad defenses from 2016. The Lions have a favorable schedule and 11 wins is very probable for them. Jim Caldwell is 17-7 at home and 10-14 on the road in three years with Detorit. Detroit facing tougher teams at home will benefit the Lions.
Green Bay
1 vs Seattle Seahawks Sun, Sept. 10 Lambeau Field
2 at Atlanta Falcons (SNF) Sun, Sept. 17 Mercedes-Benz Stadium
3 vs Cincinnati Bengals Sun, Sept. 24 Lambeau Field
4 vs Chicago Bears (TNF) Thu, Sept. 28 Lambeau Field
5 at Dallas Cowboys Sun, Oct. 8 AT&T Stadium
6 at Minnesota Vikings Sun, Oct. 15 U.S. Bank Stadium
7 vs New Orleans Saints Sun, Oct. 22 Lambeau Field
8 BYE
9 vs Detroit Lions (MNF) Mon, Nov. 6 Lambeau Field
10 at Chicago Bears Sun, Nov. 12 Soldier Field
11 vs Baltimore Ravens Sun, Nov. 19 Lambeau Field
12 at Pittsburgh Steelers (SNF) Sun, Nov. 26 Heinz Field
13 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sun, Dec. 3 Lambeau Field
14 at Cleveland Browns Sun, Dec. 10 FirstEnergy Stadium
15 at Carolina Panthers Sun, Dec. 17 Bank of America Stadium
16 vs Minnesota Vikings Sat, Dec. 23 Lambeau Field
17 at Detroit Lions Sun, Dec. 31 Ford Field
Green Bay will start with 3 of 4 at home and end the season with 3 of 4 games on the road. Green Bay has tough road games at Pittsburgh, at Atlanta, at Dallas and at Detroit (Week 17). Green Bay must do really well at home because the road games are brutal this year. The Packers get a Week 8 bye which is good in the middle of the season. They will have time to prepare for a Monday Night football game against Detroit. Green Bay will have four prime time games.
Minnesota
Week Date Opponent Location Time Network
1 11 September (Mon) New Orleans Saints
U.S. Bank Stadium 7:25 PM ESPN
2 17 September at Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field 12:00 PM FOX
3 24 September Tampa Bay Buccaneers
U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM FOX
4 1 October Detroit Lions U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM FOX
5 9 October (Mon) at Chicago Bears
Soldier Field 7:25 PM ESPN
6 15 October Green Bay Packers
U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM FOX
7 22 October Baltimore Ravens
U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM CBS
8 29 October “at” Cleveland Browns Twickenham Stadium, London 8:30 AM NFLN
BYE WEEK BYE WEEK BYE WEEK
10 12 November at Washington Redskins
FedEx Field 12:00 PM FOX
11 19 November Los Angeles Rams
U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM FOX
12 23 November (Thu) at Detroit Lions Ford Field 11:30 AM FOX(?)
13 3 December at Atlanta Falcons
Mercedes-Benz Stadium 12:00 PM FOX
14 10 December at Carolina Panthers
Bank of America Field 12:00 PM CBS
15 17 December Cincinnati Bengals
U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM CBS
16 23 December (Sat) at Green Bay Packers Lambeau Field 7:30 PM NBC
17 31 December Chicago Bears U.S. Bank Stadium 12:00 PM FOX
The Vikings will open the season with 3 of 4 games at home. The third quarter of the season they have a tough stretch with 3 of 4 games on the road. Minnesota earned a middle season bye week during Week 9. The Vikings have 4 national games including a Saturday game against Green Bay and traveling to Detroit on Thanksgiving. The Vikings will also travel to London to face the Browns in an away game. Minnesota opens the season at home on Monday Night Football against the Saints. Minnesota faces many tough teams away including Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Carolina, Detroit and Green Bay.
Chicago
Week 1: Sunday September 10th vs. Atlanta Falcons Noon FOX / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 2: Sunday September 17th at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Noon FOX / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 3: Sunday September 24th vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Noon FOX / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 4: “Thursday Night Football” September 28th at Green Bay Packers 7:25pm CBS / NFL / AMAZON / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 5: “Monday Night Football” October 9th vs. Minnesota Vikings 7:30pm ESPN / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 6: Sunday October 15th at Baltimore Ravens Noon* FOX / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 7: Sunday October 22nd vs. Carolina Panthers Noon* FOX / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio.
Week 8: Sunday October 29th at New Orleans Saints Noon* FOX / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
BYE WEEK
Week 10: Sunday November 12th vs. Green Bay Packers Noon* FOX / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 11: Sunday November 19th vs. Detroit Lions Noon* FOX / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 12: Sunday November 26th at Philadelphia Eagles Noon* FOX / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 13: Sunday December 3rd vs. San Francisco 49ers Noon* CBS / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 14: Sunday December 10th at Cincinnati Bengals Noon* FOX / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 15: Saturday December 16th at Detroit Lions 3:30pm NFLN / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
Week 16: Sunday December 24th vs. Cleveland Browns Noon* CBS / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio.
Week 17: Sunday December 31st at Minnesota Vikings Noon* FOX / WBBM Radio & Univision Radio
The Bears have an even pace in the first half of the season and a Week 9 bye. Chicago faces 3 of 4 in the third quarter of the season but 3 of four away to end the season. Chicago has three national games which include a Thursday night at Green Bay, home against the Vikings on MNF and at Detroit for a Saturday game on NFL Network. The Bears are looking to rebound from a dreadful season.
Outlook
The schedules are pretty even for all the NFC North teams. The Packers and Vikings have tougher away games but that could change if the Bengals, Ravens, Saints and Tampa Bay have resurgences in 2017. There are plenty of prime time games including many divisional games on the prime time slate. It should be a fun season and very competitive. Can’t wait. The attention now shifts to the NFL Draft.