DETROIT — The 13-2 Detroit Lions have been one of the top teams in the NFL all season, but they have yet to secure the NFC North title or the 1-seed in the NFC. Following their victory over the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings now hold a 14-2 record, leading both the NFC North and the conference’s top spot as of Monday morning.
While the Lions are assured of making the playoffs for the second consecutive year, their exact playoff seeding remains uncertain. They still have two games remaining to improve their record: a road game against the San Francisco 49ers — who have already been eliminated from playoff contention — and a home finale against the Vikings.
Here’s a breakdown of the playoff stakes in these next two games:
As things stand after Week 17, the Lions can finish as either the 1-seed or the 5-seed. Being the 1-seed offers two major benefits: an additional bye week to rest and recover for the Divisional Round, and the chance to play all playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl at Ford Field.
The Week 18 matchup against the Vikings will be crucial in determining the Lions’ seeding. A victory would give Detroit the NFC North crown and the 1-seed. However, if Minnesota wins, the Lions would drop to the 5-seed, meaning a Wild Card game on the road against either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Atlanta Falcons.
In the event the Lions and Vikings finish with identical records, the tiebreaker will be based on their head-to-head performance, which makes the Week 18 game decisive. Therefore, the Lions’ game tonight against the 49ers holds no direct playoff consequences. While Dan Campbell and the Lions will be motivated to avenge their playoff elimination in the same stadium last season, they could still secure the 1-seed even with a loss, depending on the outcome of the Week 18 game.
Tonight’s game against the San Francisco 49ers will be broadcast on Channel 7, with pre-game coverage starting at 7 p.m. with Brad Galli and Alex Crescenti.
