How easy will Lions “Last Place Schedule” really be?!

The Den
1

So I was thinking about this, because not all last place schedules are the same. And teams change year to year.

HOWEVER. Using Massy Ratings as well as Win% not just last year but the last 4 years, did some number crunching.

Based on JUST the 2025 season,

Win% 27th hardest, Massy Ratings, 29th Hardest

Only 4 games against “good” teams. Chicago 2x, Buffalo and New England. 27th

Cleveland has the easiest and Arizona has the hardest based on last year alone. (Both also 4th place schedule)

But looking at a 4 year average?

Lions Have the Easiest schedule.

Last in W% and Massy rating by a lot.

Only 5 games vs Good teams.

Buffalo, MIN 2x and GBP 2x.

Arizona still has the hardest schedule.

3 Likes
2

In terms of the division, there’s only 3 games that vary:

  • Lions: Giants, Cards, Titans
  • Vikes: Commies, Niners, Colts
  • Pack: Boys, Rams, Strouds
  • Bears: Eagles, Hags, Jags

We definitely get the easiest slate on virtue of Cards and Titans alone. Not sure how tough the Giants will be, though, with Harbaugh behind the wheel. I think the Vikes get an easier game against the Commies. Think the Pack get the toughest test (the Jags shouldn’t frighten the Bears).

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3

With the “new” four-team divisions and their associated scheduling, the difference in difficulty of schedule based on previous year finish is way less than it was before.

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4

If I were to personally pick the teams I could play, this schedule wouldn’t be a whole lot different. This is the best looking pre season schedule I’ve ever seen.

DOESNT MEAN ITS GOING TO STAY EASY! Never know how the season will play out, for us and them.

But I’ll take my chances with this schedule as opposed to last years.

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5

On paper the schedule looks pretty soft. But that can change faster than your underwear after 3 am taco bell

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Pretty bold of you to assume we’d change our underwear

Do I Feel Lucky Dirty Harry GIF by Top 100 Movie Quotes of All Time

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7

Every time I start avoiding the den… replies like this bring me back.

Underwear change is purely optional. :joy:

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8

I want to discuss….

But noooooooo

Just win the opening game first!!

20-0 until proven otherwise!!

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Cam Ward
M Willis
J Brissett
T Shough
Geno
Penix
S Sanders
B Young

Kyler
Kyler
Caleb
Caleb
Love
Love
Baker
D Maye
J Allen

That is somehow a 17 game slate.

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10

there it is ,the season curse-hear this every season, any given season-may be trash/may be fool’s gold you never know. one thing’s for sure we won’t have a perfect/flawless season .

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11

Bad math. Most statistics like this are faulty because they include the team being measured wins and losses.

To get a truer representation of our opponents, you have to eliminate the Lions from the equation.

Take our 15 win season. It skews our opponents winning percentage because we know combined they lost 15 games to us. The key is to remove the Lions from the equation and say where their record would have been WITHOUT playing the Lions.

Rams 10-6

TB 9-7

Arizona 8-8

Seattle 10-6

Dallas 7-9

Minny 14-1

Tenn 3-13

GB 11-4

Houston 10-6

JAX 4-12

Indy 8-8

Chicago 5-10

Buffalo 12-4

San Fran 6-10

9 games vs teams with winning record, 2 vs .500 teams and 6 game vs teams with losing records.

That’s actually a HARD schedule.

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This is actual fact. Additionally with only 17 games per season the stats get weird due to the fact that 1 game is over 5% so the bias of a single game is huge.

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Who cares. I’m not celebrating an easy schedule.

If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.

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14

yeah say we reach another 15 win season against creampuff teams, what does that mean? you can beat weak teams? big deal.

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15

My way too early prediction… NYG win the division and John Harbaugh wins COY. That defense is stacked and the offense is at least average when healthy… Was the best HC job by far

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16

Titans will at least double their win total from last year.

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The Lions double their win total from last year….

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18

It means we celebrate 15 times instead of 10. Which is nice. The games in January and February are all that matter though.

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https://x.com/JeffRisdon/status/2058681646405091701?s=20