Allen Park, Mich. – The Detroit Lions announced their full 2011 season schedule today. Highlighting the schedule is the Lions' Monday Night Football game at Ford Field against the Chicago Bears on October 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Detroit's Monday night game against the Bears will mark the first regular season Monday Night Football game at Ford Field since it opened in 2002. It will also mark the Lions' first primetime appearance since 2005 (12/11, at Green Bay; ESPN) as well as their first game on Monday Night Football since 2001 (10/8, St. Louis; ABC).
The schedule also features the Lions' 72nd Thanksgiving Day Classic Thursday, November 24 at 12:30 p.m. ET vs. the defending Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. This year's game marks the 20th time the Lions have battled the Packers on Thanksgiving and the fifth time since 2001. Detroit has played Green Bay more than any other opponent in the Thanksgiving Day series and holds an 11-7-1 (.579) advantage.
The Lions will kick off the regular season on the road for the fifth-straight year when they travel to Tampa to take on the Buccaneers September 11 at 1 p.m. ET. Detroit will then return to Ford Field Week 2 to open their 2011 home schedule against the Kansas City Chiefs September 18 at 1 p.m. ET.
The Lions are scheduled for their Bye Week during Week 9 (Sunday, November 6) of the NFL season.
This season marks the 10th year since the NFL realigned the AFC and NFC into four divisions in each conference, and it continues the second rotation of the interconference and intraconference format which first began in 2002.
For a printable version of the full 2011 Detroit Lions schedule, click here (PDF).
PRESEASON
| DATE | OPPONENT | NETWORK | TIME (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday, August 12 | CINCINNATI BENGALS | WXYZ-TV ABC 7 | TBD |
| Friday, August 19 | at Cleveland Browns | WXYZ-TV ABC 7 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Saturday, August 27 | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | CBS # | 8:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, September 1 | at Buffalo Bills | WXYZ-TV ABC 7 | 6:30 p.m. |
REGULAR SEASON
| DATE | OPPONENT | NETWORK | TIME (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, September 11 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | FOX | 1:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, September 18 | KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | CBS | 1:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, September 25 | at Minnesota Vikings | FOX | 1:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, October 2 | at Dallas Cowboys | FOX | 1:00 p.m. |
| Monday, October 10 | CHICAGO BEARS | FOX # | 8:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, October 16 | SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | FOX | 1:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, October 23 | ATLANTA FALCONS | FOX | 1:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, October 30 | at Denver Broncos | FOX | 4:05 p.m. |
| Sunday, November 6 | *** BYE WEEK *** | ||
| Sunday, November 13 | at Chicago Bears | FOX | 1:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, November 20 | CAROLINA PANTHERS | FOX | 1:00 p.m. |
| Thursday, November 24 | GREEN BAY PACKERS | FOX # | 12:30 p.m. |
| Sunday, December 4 | at New Orleans Saints | FOX | 1:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, December 11 | MINNESOTA VIKINGS | FOX | 1:00 p.m. |
| Sunday, December 18 | at Oakland Raiders | FOX | 4:05 p.m. |
| Saturday, December 24 | SAN DIEGO CHARGERS | CBS | 4:05 p.m. |
| Sunday, January 1 | at Green Bay Packers | FOX | 1:00 p.m. |
All times Eastern Time; Home Games in BOLD CAPS
- # Nationally Televised
- FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING: NFL Sunday games during flexible Weeks 10-15 and 17 are subject to change 12 days in advance. For Week 17 the schedule is subject to change six days in advance. Games are subject to move to different time slots but dates will remain as announced.
