No doubt about it, the Detroit Lions control their own destiny. If they beat the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Eve, the Lions will clinch their first division title since 1993. From there, they would have two games left on their schedule to try and become either the first or second seed in the NFC. If the Lions want to become the second seed, they’ll definitely need to beat the Dallas Cowboys in two weeks.
For now, the Lions appear to be headed to become at least the 3rd seed in the NFC playoffs this year. With that, the Lions would play whichever team ends up as the 6th seed in the NFC. If the playoffs were today, the Lions would play the Minnesota Vikings.
However, there are three weeks left, and if the Lions take care of business to win the division, they would knock the Vikings down a spot or potentially out of the playoffs. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but the teams waiting in the wings become interesting.
Currently, the Los Angeles Rams are the 7th seed and are in the playoffs. The New Orleans Saints are the 8th seed and are out of the playoffs. Oddly enough, these two teams play each other on Thursday Night Football. The winner of Thursday’s game would become the 6th seed if the Lions beat the Vikings next Sunday.
Here’s the remaining schedule for the Rams, Saints and Vikings:
- Minnesota Vikings: vs. Detroit Lions, vs. Green Bay Packers and at Detroit Lions
- Los Angeles Rams: vs. New Orleans Saints, at New York Giants and at San Francisco 49ers
- New Orleans Saints: at Los Angeles Rams, at Tampa Bay Buccaneers and vs. Atlanta Falcons
What are the chances that the Lions’ first home playoff game in 30 years is one where they host Matthew Stafford and the Rams? Certainly something you would see in the movies. Even though it’s a fun thought, it’s somewhat terrifying to think about. The Rams have gotten healthier and are playing some really good football right now. I’d think they’d give the Lions a run for their money despite playing at Ford Field.
We’ll see how it plays out, as the Lions could clinch a playoff berth tonight. All they need is for the Seattle Seahawks to beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football. It’s fun times in Detroit with the Lions playing meaningful games in December. Regardless of how it plays out, let’s enjoy the ride.