Dan Campbell mentioned earlier that he prefers 1 p.m. games, and he’s getting a slew of them this season. This one is extremely important early in the season as it’s the first NFC North divisional game and an excellent test of the team’s resiliency on the road. After starting the first two weeks at home with two winnable matchups, the Lions can look to prove to the league that they’re here to compete this season.

As with all divisional games, this one is important as the season comes to halt and the Lions may be looking for tiebreakers that allow them to punch their ticket to the 2022 NFL playoffs.

This is one of those games everyone refers to as a trap game. The Seahawks after losing Russell Wilson in a franchise resetting trade to the Broncos, are clearly not the tough matchup they used to be. But Pete Carroll will always have his guys ready. If the Lions win the first three games (which I think are very winnable) this is an extremely important matchup to prove to not only ownership but to the players themselves that the culture being built has some ground to stand on.

With Aaron Rodgers at the helm, it is an extremely hard task for the Lions to be able to win, even at home. However, if the team can somehow sneak a win in against a depleted Green Bay offense, it could turn the tides and thrust the Lions into playoff contention. Detroit snapped a 5-game losing streak against Green Bay in the 2021 season finale.

The Bears are struggling as a franchise, and I’m at the point where I believe the Lions’ five-year outlook looks a lot better than Chicago’s, even potentially without the answer at quarterback. The Bears are relying on Justin Fields to carry them, which could spell troubles for the young QB. This is another divisional statement game, and a winnable game for Dan Campbell’s crew to make such a positive statement.

One of the few franchises who have had as bad of a run as the Lions, the Jaguars under new coach Doug Pederson will be a promising team with second-year QB Trevor Lawrence. But the Lions will need to make sure they defend home-field advantage against a team that isn’t considered a playoff favorite.

In my opinion, the season could come down to this game. With no clear-cut number two team in the division, there is a chance the Lions and Bears will be playing in Detroit for their playoff hopes. This divisional matchup could be very interesting for 2022, and I expect Aidan Hutchinson to wreak havoc in both Chicago games against a fairly soft Chicago offensive line.