5 most winnable games on the Detroit Lions' 2024 schedule

4. vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Week 11

Coming off back-to-back 9-8 seasons, it feels like the Jaguars are at a crossroads. Will they take a step forward and make the playoffs again (win the AFC South?), or will they have a downturn and be picking in the first 10-12 picks of the 2025 draft?

In any case, the Lions should have very little trouble with the Jaguars at home at the start of a stretch where they'll play three games in 12 days. It might not be a blowout like we saw in 2022 (40-14 in Week 13 that year), but a decisive win by a couple touchdowns coming off a tough stretch of games is in play as a get-right game for the Lions.

3. at Minnesota Vikings, Week 7

Immediate projections for the Vikings this year have generally settled around 6-8 wins, with one that's particularly low. Who they'll have under center by the time the Lions play them for the first time in Week 7 is a question, but Sam Darnold or rookie J.J. McCarthy should not particularly scare them.

Either game against the Vikings this year can be marked among the "most winnable" for the Lions. But the first matchup comes during the aforementioned stretch of four out of five on the road, and winning it feels fairly important-and easy to mark as a W.