Tuesday open thread: What is the best game on the Detroit Lions 2022 schedule to attend in person?

While many people scoff at the NFL schedule release as nothing more than an overhyped event created to draw ratings and further boost the league as the dominant news force in sports. Others see it as an important date to map out their plans to attend a game or two.

The timing of a game could be essentially important to fans hoping to catch a road game with good weather or a home game that doesn’t coincide with some other plans. As someone who attended one away game per year for a decade stretch, I share that passion for the schedule release, even if it doesn’t affect me as much anymore.

While some prefer to comfort (and cost benefits) of watching Lions games at home, there is nothing that can match the environment of a rowdy and enthusiastic crowd. People who were at the 2011 Monday Night Football game between the 4-0 Detroit Lions and 2-2 Chicago Bears still talk about it as one of the best sporting events they’ve ever witnessed in person.

So with expectations of the Lions rising, and the schedule now out there, today’s Question of the Day is:

What is the best game on the Lions’ 2022 schedule to attend in person?

My answer: There is a big draw to go see the Detroit Lions at AT&T Stadium—AKA Jerry World—just for the spectacle of it all. I still haven’t seen that circus of a stadium in person, so to do that alone would make the trip worth it. Plus, the Dallas Cowboys are considered one of the best NFC teams, and with the Lions playing them relatively early in the schedule (Week 7), there’s a good chance a lot will still be on the line for Detroit.

However, my No. 1 choice is two weeks later when the Lions host the Green Bay Packers. Again, it’s still early in the season, and given that Detroit’s first half of the season is manageable, it’s reasonable to expect the Lions to have a record around the .500 mark for this game.

And if that’s the case, I think we could see Ford Field as energetic as it’s been in several years. This city is desperate for even a .500 football team, and you know they’ll get up for Packers week. I’m not saying it will have the same energy as that Lions/Bears game that is now over a decade in the past, but it certainly has a chance to get close. This Detroit team is on the rise, and the Packers team undoubtedly got worse this offseason. I probably don’t need to remind you that Detroit hung with the Packers in both games last year, so this could be a really fun one.

Your turn.