2017 Detroit Lions schedule: Opens with Cardinals, then MNF game against NY Giants

Lions will be all over primetime

Detroit Lions fans and Green Bay Packers fans watch their teams during first quarter action at Ford Field on January 1, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

DETROIT – The Detroit Lions will open the 2017 NFL season at home Sept. 10 against the Arizona Cardinals. 

Then, the Lions are in the spotlight in Week 2 as they travel to the New York Giants for a Monday Night Football game on Sept. 18. 

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Week 3 is a meeting back in Detroit with the NFC championship-defending Atlanta Falcons. That's followed by a road trip to Minnesota to open division play against the Vikings. Week 5 is a home game against the Carolina Panthers and Week 6 is a trip to New Orleans to face the Saints. Week 7 is a bye week. 

Here are those first six weeks -- blue is home and gray is away: 

  • WEEK 1: Sept. 10 vs. Arizona Cardinals
  • WEEK 2: Sept. 18 @ New York Giants
  • WEEK 3: Sept. 24 vs. Atlanta Falcons
  • WEEK 4: Oct. 1 @ Minnesota Vikings
  • WEEK 5: Oct. 8 vs. Carolina Panthers
  • WEEK 6: Oct. 15 @ New Orleans Saints

What do you think the Lions' record is going into that Week 7 bye? Let's start the poll now:

Weeks 8 and 9 are both primetime TV games. The Lions will play the Pittsburgh Steelers Oct. 29 in Detroit on NBC Sunday Night Football. A week later and the Lions are back on Monday Night Football for a game Nov. 6 in Green Bay. That could be a cold night in Green Bay. For the history buffs: According to the Lions, the last time the team played Monday night on the road against the Packers was Nov. 1, 1971 at Milwaukee County Stadium. It was a 14-14 tie. 

Thanksgiving Day Classic is Nov. 23

After a game against the Cleveland Browns and a road trip to Chicago, the Lions are home again for the Thanksgiving Day Classic on Nov. 23 against the Minnesota Vikings. 

VIEW: Detroit Lions all-time record in Thanksgiving Day game

Even more primetime?

And the fun continues: Depending on what this Lions team does they could end up back on primetime in weeks 10 through 17 as part of what the NFL calls "flexible scheduling." Basically, a Sunday afternoon game could be moved to Sunday night. The league has to announce this 12 days ahead of time. 

The Lions season, again, will end with a game against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. 

Here's the full 2017 Detroit Lions schedule -- blue is home and gray is away: 

  • WEEK 1: Sept. 10 vs. Arizona Cardinals
  • WEEK 2: Sept. 18 @ New York Giants
  • WEEK 3: Sept. 24 vs. Atlanta Falcons
  • WEEK 4: Oct. 1 @ Minnesota Vikings
  • WEEK 5: Oct. 8 vs. Carolina Panthers
  • WEEK 6: Oct. 15 @ New Orleans Saints
  • WEEK 7: Bye
  • WEEK 8: Oct. 29 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
  • WEEK 9: Nov. 6 @ Green Bay Packers
  • WEEK 10: Nov. 12 vs. Cleveland Browns
  • WEEK 11: Nov. 19 @ Chicago Bears
  • WEEK 12: Nov. 23 vs. Minnesota Vikings
  • WEEK 13: Dec. 3 @ Baltimore Ravens
  • WEEK 14: Dec. 10 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • WEEK 15: Dec. 16 vs. Chicago Bears
  • WEEK 16: Dec. 24 @ Cincinnati Bengals
  • WEEK 17: Dec. 31 vs. Green Bay Packers

This has just about everything: Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and even a New Year's Eve game. 

OK, now it's time to flood the comments section below with your predictions for this year's team. Go.

MORE: Full 2017 NFL regular season schedule