Top 5 revenge games on the Detroit Lions 2023 schedule

5. at Green Bay Packers, Week 4

The Lions knocked the Packers out of the playoffs with a Week 18 win last season, in what will now be known as Aaron Rodgers’ final game as a Packer. Even with Jordan Love under center now, many of the same Packers’ players were on the field at Lambeau for that game to end last season and certainly have sour memories of the loss.

This game will be the Lions’ second Thursday night game in the first four weeks of the season. It’s an opportunity for them to make a real statement, but the Packers have a revenge angle that’s in play.

4. vs. Carolina Panthers, Week 5

First it was running backs coach Duce Staley, albeit for very understandable personal reasons due to his mom’s health concerns. Then it was defensive line coach Todd Wash. And finally, after he lingered available as theoretically one of the top options in a thin free agent wide receiver market, it was wide receiver DJ Chark. All were with the Lions last year, and left for the Panthers this offseason.

The revenge game angle here is focused strictly on Chark though, particularly with this game coming during the six-game suspension of Lions’ wide receiver Jameson Williams. Williams was seen as the in-house replacement for Chark, and at Ford Field in Week 5 he simply won’t be available.

Chark shouldn’t ultimately be a big loss for the Lions. But for one game this season, he’ll have an opportunity to prove those who think that wrong.