ClutchPoints
The Detroit Lions are fading in the playoff race. Coming into this week, the Lions were already falling a little behind in the playoff race. They were behind the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears in the division, and their Wild Card chances looked a little slim with the tough competition in the NFC.
The Lions needed a win in Week 15 in order to keep pace with the rest of their division. That, unfortunately, didn’t happen for Detroit. Against the Los Angeles Rams, they just couldn’t close the gap against the leaders of the NFC. Detroit lost 41-34, sending their already low playoff odds crashing even lower.
The Athletic has a playoff prediction model that updates in real-time. After the results of Sunday’s games, their model gives the Lions a 26% chance of making it to the postseason, down from 39% before the start of the day. Their chances of hosting a playoff game are even lower: The Athletic only gives them a 4% chance of playing in Detroit come January.
Now, the Lions can still boost their odds of making it to the postseason. That being said, their margin of error is now razor-thin. They play the Steelers, Vikings, and Bears, in that order, to end the season. A loss in any one of those games could spell instant disaster. Even losing their non-divisional game against the Steelers next week lowers their odds to 9%.
There are a lot of moving parts at play in this chaotic playoff race. For one, the Bears have control of the division for the time being. At 10-4 this season, Chicago holds a big lead against both the Lions and the Packers. Should they win their game agianst Green Bay this week, Chicago should be the favorites to win it all.
Then there’s the Packers. While they are still a dangerous team, they just lost star pass rusher Micah Parsons to an ACL injury. Offensive tackle Zach Tom and wide receiver Christian Watson are also injured, though they shouldn’t be out for the rest of the season or a playoff push. The Packers are vulnerable, yet they also cannot be underestimated.
Then, we have the Lions. Dealing with injuries all season long and a new system with both sides of the ball, Detroit has not gotten the ball rolling enough this season. While they’re on track to maintain a winning season, that might not be enough to win the uber-competitive NFC North.
The Lions still have a potential path to make it in as the representative of the NFC North. That would require Detroit to win out their games, the Packers to win against the Bears and lose in Week 17, and for the Bears to lose the rest of their schedule. That being said, it’s easier said than done, and the Lions’ best shot of making it to the postseason is through the Wild Card...
