Detroit Lions Week 8 rooting guide: Best outcomes for playoff seeding

The Detroit Lions are on their bye week, and it has already started off exceedingly well. One of their division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, got absolutely embarrassed on Thursday night, falling 37-10 to the Chargers in the second-worst loss of Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell era.

Now it’s time to look forward to the rest of the Week 8 games, and identify the best possible outcomes for the Lions—and what the NFC playoff race could look like if all the games went in Detroit’s favor.

It’s our Week 8 Detroit Lions Rooting Guide!

Dolphins (1-6) at Falcons (3-3) — 1 p.m. ET — CBS

Root for: Dolphins

The Falcons are a weird team, and it’s hard to know if they’re going to be true NFC contenders or not. A humiliating loss to the Dolphins, though, would be a huge hit to their confidence. And, remember, AFC over NFC, always.

Giants (2-5) at Eagles (5-2) — 1 p.m. ET — FOX (local game)

Root for: Giants

The Giants already shocked the Eagles a few weeks ago, but this game is in Philly and the Eagles are coming off a confidence-building win over the Vikings. Still, something feels off about the Eagles, and if they get swept by New York, the justified doubts about that team will only grow louder.

Bills (4-2) at Panthers (4-3) — 1 p.m. ET — FOX

Root for: Bills

AFC over NFC. I don’t think the Panthers are necessarily true contenders after winning three straight, but the less crowded the NFC playoff picture, the better.

Bears (4-2) at Ravens (1-5) — 1 p.m. ET — FOX

Root for: Ravens

Unfortunately, Lamar Jackson is not playing in this game, giving Chicago a decent chance to win this game. And with the Bengals, Giants, and Vikings on tap, the Bears have a legitimate chance to go on a bit of a run here. Already on a four-game winning streak, it’s time for Chicago to get handed a dose of reality. Hopefully Baltimore figured some things out during their bye week.

49ers (5-2) at Texans (2-4) — 1 p.m. ET — FOX

Root for: Texans

AFC over NFC. The 49ers are one of the few NFC contenders the Lions don’t play this year, so they need San Francisco to start tallying some Ls.

Buccaneers (5-2) at Saints (1-6) — 4:05 p.m. ET — FOX

Root for: Saints

Detroit took care of the Bucs last week in a statement win, and now it would be nice if Tampa developed a case of Honolulu Flu. It seems unlikely given how bad the Saints are, but one can hope.

Cowboys (3-3-1) at Broncos (5-2) — 4:25 p.m. ET — CBS

Root for: Broncos

AFC over NFC, and just about everyone over the Cowboys. Dallas seems to have gotten some mojo after a dominant win over the Commanders, but their defense is still very suspect. Hopefully the Broncos humble them again.