At 11-1, making the playoffs is a foregone conclusion for the Detroit Lions. But it’s still nice, especially for this team, to have an official playoff-clinching scenario with five weeks left in the season.
Not only can the Lions officially punch their ticket this week, they can do so in the simplest of fashions: win. If Detroit beats the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, they will have the old “X” next to their name in the standings page.
Even if the Lions don’t win on Thursday, they can still clinch a playoff spot this week, but the scenarios are much more complicated.
Here is the full list of clinching scenarios for the Lions this week, via NFL Playoff Scenarios (each scenario is its own individual scenario):
1. Win or tie
2. ATL loss/tie + LAR loss/tie + PHI win
3. ATL loss/tie + ARI tie
4. ATL loss/tie + ARI loss + LAR loss/tie
5. ATL loss + ARI loss + PHI win + 3.5 or more combined wins from (DAL, CHI, PIT, TEN)
6. ATL loss + ARI loss + PHI win + DAL win + CHI win + 1 combined win from (PIT or TEN)
7. ATL tie + ARI loss + PHI win + DAL win + CHI win + PIT win + TEN win
8. TB loss/tie + LAR loss/tie + PHI win
9. TB loss/tie + ARI tie
10. TB loss/tie + ARI loss + LAR loss/tie
The part in italics are results needed for the Lions to clinch at least a tie in the Strength of Victory tiebreaker over the Eagles.
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