Category: Playoffs

How the Lions can clinch a playoff berth in Week 14

Breaking down the Detroit Lions playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 14, and they can clinch even if they lose

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.

[lawrence-related id=116291]

NFC playoff picture after Week 9 Sunday games: Everyone looking up at the Lions

NFC playoff picture after Week 9 Sunday games: Everyone looking up at the Lions

With one game left in Week 9, the NFL regular season is just about halfway in the books. As it stands coming out of Week 9, the road to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans runs through Ford Field.

The 7-1 Detroit Lions remain with the best record in the NFC following their 24-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers. They come out of Week 9 with a one-game lead over the Minnesota Vikings, who defeated the Indianapolis Colts to move to 6-2. The Lions own a head-to-head victory over the Vikings. The second meeting comes in Week 18.

Green Bay sits in third place in the division at 6-3, a testament to how strong the division still is. All four teams are at least .500. The Chicago Bears fell to 4-4 following their 29-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday.

Current NFC North standings

1. Detroit Lions 7-1
2. Minnesota Vikings 6-2
3. Green Bay Packers 6-3
4. Chicago Bears 4-4

Looking at the full playoff picture, the Lions hold the No. 1 seed by a half-game over the 7-2 Washington Commanders, arguably the biggest surprise of the first half of the season thanks to Rookie of the Year frontrunner Jayden Daniels.

In total, six teams have at least six wins through nine weeks. In addition to the three NFC North teams and the Commanders, the Atlanta Falcons (6-3) and Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) also have six wins. The Cardinals are the only other team with at least five wins, though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can join them Monday if they pull off the upset of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Current NFC playoff standings

1. Detroit Lions 7-1
2. Washington Commanders 7-2
3. Atlanta Falcons 6-3
4. Arizona Cardinals 5-4
5. Minnesota Vikings 6-2
6. Philadelphia Eagles 6-2
7. Green Bay Packers 6-3

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-4
9. Chicago Bears 4-4
10. Los Angeles Rams 4-4
11. San Francisco 49ers 4-4
12. Seattle Seahawks 4-5
13. Dallas Cowboys 3-5
14. Carolina Panthers 2-7
15. New Orleans Saints 2-7
16. New York Giants 2-7

Ranking: The NBA stars with the best playoff winning percentage ever

HoopsHype put together a list of the 25 NBA All-Stars with the best playoff win percentages in league history, including LeBron and Jordan.

On the court, the ultimate goal for NBA players should be to win at the highest level, and that is in the playoffs.

Today, we’re going to take a look at the NBA All-Stars with the best playoff winning percentages in league history, a list littered with Hall of Famers, including the Top 3 in just about everyone’s GOAT debate: Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who have 16 championships between them.

The list also features various sidekicks of those all-time greats, including one who’s in the playoffs right now further cementing his legacy as one of the best point guards ever.

Social media reacts to Mavs winning Game 5 vs. Timberwolves: ‘Luka Doncic had Snoop Dogg flabbergasted’

The Dallas Mavericks reached the NBA Finals for the third time in franchise history after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Luka Doncic was unstoppable with 36 points, 10 rebounds and five assists …

The Dallas Mavericks reached the NBA Finals for the third time in franchise history after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Luka Doncic was unstoppable with 36 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while Kyrie Irving added 36 points. Those two outscored Minnesota in the first half 44 to 40.

Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 56 points but it wasn’t enough to force Game 6.

Here’s how social media reacted to the Mavs winning Game 5.

NBA Twitter reacts to Celtics winning Game 3 vs. Pacers: ‘Jrue Holiday wins basketball games’

The Celtics are one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the 23rd time in franchise history after beating the Pacers 114-111. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 36 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Jaylen Brown added 24 points, veteran Al …

The Celtics are one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the 23rd time in franchise history after beating the Pacers 114-111.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 36 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Jaylen Brown added 24 points, veteran Al Horford made seven three-pointers and Jrue Holiday got a key steal to seal the victory.

With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined with a left hamstring injury, Andrew Nembhard had a playoff career-high 32 points, and Myles Turner and Pascal Siakam combined for 44 points.

Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to the Celtics winning Game 3.

NBA Twitter reacts to Knicks taking Game 1 vs. Pacers: ‘Jalen Brunson is in another stratosphere’

Jalen Brunson became the first player to score 40-plus points in four consecutive playoff games since Michael Jordan as the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 121-117 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Brunson scored 21 of his 43 …

Jalen Brunson became the first player to score 40-plus points in four consecutive playoff games since Michael Jordan as the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers 121-117 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Brunson scored 21 of his 43 points in the fourth quarter, and Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo combined for 49 points. Myles Turner led the Pacers with 23 points but was called for an offensive foul with 12.1 seconds left.

Here’s how NBA Twitter reacted to the Knicks victory.

Former Bears players, coaches in Super Bowl LVIII

Here’s a look at the former Bears who are playing or coaching in Super Bowl LVIII:

The 2023 NFL season comes to a close tonight when the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs face off in Super Bowl LVIII for a chance to be world champions.

There will be some familiar faces for Bears fans to watch on Super Bowl Sunday, including Matt Nagy, Dave Toub, Tashaun Gipson, Deon Bush and more.

Here’s a look at the former Bears who are playing or coaching in Super Bowl LVIII:

4 things the Minnesota Vikings can learn from the NFC Championship game

Four things the Minnesota Vikings can learn from the 2024 NFC Championship game.

The San Francisco 49ers went against all odds and completed their comeback against the Detroit Lions to punch their ticket to Super Bowl LVII.

San Francisco rattled off 27 unanswered points in the second half after being down 24-7 at the halftime break. With how  Detroit played, it looked like everything had to line up perfectly for San Francisco to get to Las Vegas to avenge their Super Bowl LIV loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

It did. 

Back in the NFC North, the Minnesota Vikings are approaching one of the more crucial points in team history. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has a unique chance to map out the short-term and long-term direction of the Vikings with their decisions this off-season.

These decisions also come with tough questions: Is the roster ready to compete now? If they are, how do they maximize the current window to compete? If they aren’t, how do they build towards competing sooner rather than later?

There is no right or wrong answer, but there are different ways to go about building this roster, and there are some real lessons that can come from watching a thriller like the Lions had against the 49ers.

Studs & Duds for the Lions playoff loss to the 49ers

Here are the Detroit Lions Studs and Duds as they fall one game short with the their loss to the San Francisco 49ers

The Detroit Lions’ remarkable season concludes on a heartbreaking note as they surrender a 17-point lead in a 34-31 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

In the first half, the Lions asserted control with a commanding 24-7 lead, showcasing an unstoppable offense and a defense that made crucial stops at opportune moments. However, the narrative took a sharp turn in the second half, as everything that could go wrong for the Lions seemingly did, creating a deficit they couldn’t overcome by the game’s end.

While the Lions’ season exceeded expectations, their inexperience and missed opportunities became evident in this critical game, leaving them just one step shy of a Super Bowl berth.

As we bid farewell to the season, let’s reflect on the Studs and Duds in the Lions’ loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship.

Seemingly everyone is rooting for the Baltimore Ravens to beat the Kansas City Chiefs

Lamar Jackson and this Ravens squad are the heroes for everyone who is not a Kansas City Chiefs fan.

Success is a funny thing, especially when it comes to competitive leagues such as the NFL. Everyone loves an underdog story but not everyone likes to see incredibly sustained success, as we witnessed during the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era. With Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid reaching their sixth straight championship game, the resentment is bound to follow. It doesn’t help that the Chiefs have found themselves in the spotlight multiple times with the arrival or Taylor Swift and the likes of Jackson Mahomes continuing to create headlines.

If we spend any amount of time on the football side of social media it is becoming clear that the vast majority of fans have become big Lamar Jackson fans over the last week. With memes ranging in comedic value scattered across the confines of sports twitter. The Baltimore Ravens aren’t necessarily underdogs going into this matchup given most people view them as the best team in the entire NFL and they are the number one seed in the playoffs, but the recent history of Patrick Mahomes tells you that to count Kansas City out of this game would be a fools errand.

It’s always fun to see which teams fans will temporary pick up and root for once their own team has been eliminated from contention, and this year shows a replica of the New England Patriots’ dynasty era in so many ways. Win or lose on Sunday the Chiefs are currently in a dynasty, and the fans are going to be rooting against them every step of the way as history begins to repeat itself.

https://twitter.com/RavensHead_/status/1751396994684428421