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The Detroit Lions are barely holding onto their playoff hopes in the NFC heading into Week 16. Detroit is 8-6 after a devastating loss against LA on Sunday that significantly hurt their chances of making the postseason. Now the Lions are no longer in complete control of their own destiny. Not only do they need to win out the regular season to make the playoffs, but they also need some help along the way.
Detroit currently has only a 27% chance to make the playoffs according to The Athletic’s playoff simulator. It is far too early for Lions fans to look at what help they need to get into the postseason. Detroit simply needs to win the next game in front of them, as Jared Goff has made clear this week.
Thankfully, there are a few reasons for optimism ahead of this big game.
The Lions do not lose back-to-back games during the Dan Campbell era. In fact, the last time Detroit lost consecutive games was in October of 2022 when they went on a five-game losing streak.
That stat is wild to me because it perfectly coincides with the Lions turning a corner. After that five-game losing streak, they won eight of their next 10 games and nearly made the playoffs.
Detroit is also playing at home, so weather won’t have any impact on their high-powered offense.
So will the Lions get back in the win column on Sunday? Or will their impressive streak come to an end with a second consecutive loss?
Below we will explore three Lions bold predictions ahead of their Week 16 matchup against the Steelers.
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The Lions have taken a step back in 2025, but Goff is still quietly having an excellent season.
The veteran quarterback has thrown for 3,672 passing yards with 29 touchdowns and just five interceptions on the season. Goff’s game does not look flashy on tape, but the numbers don’t lie. He is a productive franchise quarterback in the NFL.
If Detroit’s offensive line has a good day at the office, Goff can pick almost any NFL defense apart. That should be on the table in Week 16.
The Steelers have one of the worst statistical defenses in the NFL, allowing an average of 363.3 yards per game. That ranks 28th in the NFL. That is surprising after Pittsburgh went all in on upgrading their defense this offseason.
I can see Goff doing his best Trevor Lawrence impression against a weak Steelers defense.
I’m predicting that Goff will throw for five touchdowns against the Steelers. Surely that would be enough offensive production to get a win for the Lions.
Fun fact: the last time Goff had that many passing touchdowns in one game was Week 2 against the Bears.
It was surprising to see Gibbs play...
