(Note: Complete schedule posted below)
After a forgettable 0-16 mark in 2008, the Detroit Lions will open the 2009 regular season easy.
The Big Easy, that is.
According to an official team release, Detroit and new head coach Jim Schwartz will attempt to win the franchise's first game since the 2007 season when they travel to New Orleans on September 13, the NFL's opening weekend.
But despite the league's formula for creating a relatively "fair" schedule for poor performing team's in the previous year, the Lions still host Super Bowl contenders Pittsburgh and Arizona in weeks 5 and 15, respectively.
They also travel to Baltimore on December 13.
The team's only prime-time slot is the annual Thanksgiving Day contest, where they'll host the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, November 26.
Detroit's opponents in 2009 tallied 119 wins versus 136 losses and one tie. They had a winning percentage of .464.
Detroit Lions 2009 Schedule
| Week |
Date |
Matchup |
2008 |
TV |
Time |
| 1 |
Sun, Sept. 13 |
at New Orleans |
8-8 |
FOX |
1 p.m. |
| 2 |
Sun, Sept. 20 |
vs. Minnesota ~ |
10-6 |
FOX |
1 p.m. |
| 3 |
Sun, Sept. 27 |
vs. Washington |
8-8 |
FOX |
1 p.m. |
| 4 |
Sun, Oct. 4 |
at Chicago |
9-7 |
FOX |
1 p.m. |
| 5 |
Sun, Oct. 11 |
vs. Pittsburgh^ |
12-4 |
CBS |
1 p.m. |
| 6 |
Sun, Oct. 18 |
at Green Bay |
6-10 |
FOX |
1 p.m. |
| 7 |
BYE |
|
|
|
|
| 8 |
Sun, Nov. 1 |
vs. St. Louis |
2-14 |
FOX |
1 p.m. |
| 9 |
Sun, Nov. 8 |
at Seattle |
4-12 |
FOX |
4:05 p.m. |
| 10 |
Sun, Nov. 15 |
at Minnesota ~ |
10-6 |
FOX |
1 p.m. |
| 11 |
Sun, Nov. 2 |
vs. Cleveland |
4-12 |
CBS |
1 p.m. |
| 12 |
Thu, Nov. 26 |
vs. Green Bay * |
6-10 |
FOX |
12:30 p.m. |
| 13 |
Sun, Dec. 6 |
at Cincinnati |
4-11-1 |
FOX |
1 p.m. |
| 14 |
Sun, Dec. 13 |
at Baltimore ~ |
11-5 |
FOX |
1 p.m. |
| 15 |
Sun, Dec. 20 |
vs. Arizona ^ ~ |
9-7 |
FOX |
1 p.m. |
| 16 |
Sun, Dec. 27 |
at San Francisco |
7-9 |
FOX |
4:05 p.m. |
| 17 |
Sun, Jan. 3 |
vs. Chicago |
9-7 |
FOX |
1 p.m. |
| |
|
* Thanskgiving
^ Super Bowl
~ Playoff Contender |
119-136 (.464) |
|
|