Allen Park, Mich. – The Detroit Lions announced today their 2019 regular season schedule that features two nationally-televised games, including Week 6 at the Green Bay Packers on ESPN's Monday Night Football.
FULL SCHEDULE:
The Lions' season opener at the Arizona Cardinals marks the second Week 1 matchup between Detroit and Arizona in the past three seasons and the seventh overall matchup in the last eight seasons, including five games in Arizona. Outside of NFC North opponents, the Lions have played the Cardinals more times than any other opponent since 2012. The Lions opened the 2017 season with a 35-23 victory over the Cardinals at Ford Field. The Lions will begin the regular season on the road for the first time since opening at Indianapolis with a 39-35 victory over the Colts in 2016.
In Week 4, the Lions will host the Kansas City Chiefs for the first time at Ford Field since a 48-3 victory in 2011. The matchup will be just the 14th all-time meeting between the two clubs.
The Lions will play on Monday Night Football for the ninth-consecutive season when they visit the Packers in Week 6. The teams also met in Green Bay on Monday Night Football during the 2017 season when the Lions defeated the Packers 30-17 in Week 9.
Detroit's 80th Thanksgiving Day Classic takes place Thursday, Nov. 28 at 12:30 p.m. ET as the Lions welcome the Chicago Bears after hosting their NFC North rival last season on Thanksgiving. Detroit is 37-40-2 all-time on Thanksgiving Day, including wins in four of the past six seasons. The Thanksgiving Day series between the Lions and Bears dates all the way back to Detroit's inaugural game played Nov. 29, 1934. This year represents the 18th time Detroit will host Chicago on Thanksgiving, ranking as the second-most meetings of any opponent in the Lions Thanksgiving Day history behind Green Bay (21). In the 17 previous games between the two clubs, Chicago holds the series edge, 9-8-0.
FOX will air the Lions' 80th Thanksgiving Day game to a national audience.
For the ninth-consecutive season, the Lions will play at least two nationally-televised games. Since 2011, the Lions have played in 30 nationally-televised games (11 Monday Night Football, seven Sunday Night Football, eight Thanksgiving Day, one Thursday Night Football, one Saturday Night Football and two International Series).
Detroit concludes the 2019 regular season with a home contest against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17. This will mark the fourth-consecutive season the Lions and Packers will face each other in Week 17. Green Bay hosted Detroit in last year's season finale, and the teams have met seven times in the final game of the season since 1993.
The Lions' Bye Week occurs Week 5 (Sunday, Oct. 6) of the NFL season.
FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING
"Flexible scheduling" will again be used in Weeks 11-17. In Weeks 11-16, the schedule lists the games tentatively set for Sunday Night Football on NBC. Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the tentatively scheduled Sunday night game would be moved to an afternoon start time. A flexible scheduling move would be announced at least 12 days before the game.
For Week 17, the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to December 29. The schedule does not list a Sunday night game in Week 17, but an afternoon game with playoff implications will be moved to that time slot. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives "surprise" teams a chance to play their way into primetime.
Flexible scheduling will not be applied to games airing on Thursday or Monday nights.
