The belief among Lions fans that Detroit is “one of the best teams in the NFC” was “co-signed by important people across the league” on Thursday with the release of the NFL schedule, according to Dave Birkett of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. All three broadcast partners with primetime games -- NBC, ESPN and Amazon -- “wanted a piece of the Lions this season, and the NFL picked them for its marquee opening game against the Chiefs over several other attractive options.” The four primetime appearances may be less than the maximum six, but it is the “surest sign yet the Lions … are expected to do big things this fall.” They have only played five primetime games in the past five years combined (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 5/11). In Detroit, John Niyo noted with interest “spiking in the Lions after the ‘Hard Knocks’ fanfare last August and their hard-charging finish last winter,” it was unlikely the club would be left off the primetime slate completely, as it was last year. Niyo wrote, “You asked for it, Detroit, and now you’ve got it: Here’s another chance to prove to ‘Everybody’ that you’re to be taken seriously” (DETROIT NEWS, 5/11).
BUCKING TRADITION: The Lions finished the 2022 season on the outside looking in at the postseason, and sports talk host Dan Patrick noted it is “rare to have a team that didn’t make the playoffs” featured in the season opener. NFL VP/Broadcast Onnie Bose said the choice of the Lions to face the Chiefs in that game generated “some of our more passionate discussions.” Bose noted any Super Bowl champion “is going to be attractive” for NBC’s Thursday night slot, and the presence of the Chiefs and QB Patrick Mahomes “is going to have a high amount of attention, it’s going to get a lot of viewership.” Bose: “We left ourselves open minded. There are a lot of years where we might say, ‘This is the one game that we’re going to play on kickoff.’ This year we kind of said, ‘There are a lot of games we can consider.’ And as we went through the process, the Lions were one of those teams we left in there and we really like that narrative around that team” (“The Dan Patrick Show,” 5/11). NFL Network’s Rich Eisen said drawing the season opener “is a monster assignment” for the Lions, as well as a “monster checkmark from the NFL that says, ‘Okay, let’s see what you got’” (“Schedule Release ’23,” NFL Network, 5/11)
STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE: SI’s Albert Breer wrote it was considered to put the Chiefs against a "premier AFC opponent” like the Bills or Bengals in that game, as was putting the Eagles there "for a Super Bowl rematch.” However, those “assets” were “seen as too valuable elsewhere, especially since the opener will rate well regardless.” The Lions "presented the league with a chance to put a new, exciting, entertaining team on a bigger stage -- and see where Detroit takes the opportunity" (SI, 5/11).
