The NFL released the 2021 schedule a week ago, giving us all a chance to sit back and look it over for division games, exciting matchups and yearly traditions.
So which game are you looking forward to most? I asked the Detroitlions.com crew, and here's what they had to say:
Tim Twentyman: Week 1 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Football was different in 2020 with no fans at Ford Field. It simply wasn't the same. My hope is that by the fall we start to reach some kind of normalcy again and Lions fans are allowed back in Ford Field. It's for that reason I chose the home opener. All 32 teams have fresh hope to kick off the season, and the home opener is always electric. I can just imagine what it will be like in Ford Field if fans are welcomed back to help kick off the 2021 season.
There's a lot of excitement in Detroit surrounding new general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell, and what they're beginning to build. Week 1 is the true start of the new regime, and what better way to begin than to get a win Week 1 in front of a home crowd.
Mike O'Hara: Week 10 at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Lions are coming off their bye after playing the first eight games.
There is a range of possibilities, from regrouping and reloading after a tough start to take a step toward contention in the NFC North to strengthening their position to make a playoff run.
It is never an easy task playing the Steelers on the road, but it will help define where the Lions stand coming out of the bye.
Editor's Pick: Week 7 at Los Angeles Rams
Tim stole my first answer so I'll pivot and go with the one everyone's thinking.
Quarterback Jared Goff returns to SoFi Stadium, and Matthew Stafford plays against his former team for the first time. Stafford's departure was an amicable one, so it should be a fun matchup to watch.
