The Detroit Lions are enjoying their most successful season in franchise history in 2024, sitting at a 14-2 record as they approach Week 18 with an opportunity to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. Their 40-34 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night served as a form of redemption after last year’s NFC Championship loss.
Head coach Dan Campbell addressed his decision to start his regular players against the 49ers. He revealed that he had contemplated resting them after the Vikings’ win over the Packers on Sunday, which rendered Detroit’s Week 17 game meaningless in terms of playoff positioning. As a result, the Week 18 matchup against the Vikings would ultimately determine the NFC North champion and the No. 1 playoff seed.
Despite the situation, Campbell opted to play the players who had prepared all week in practice, calling it a difficult choice but one that felt right for the team. He explained that the team owed it to themselves to play hard and improve on areas they felt they could do better than the previous week.
Campbell expressed excitement about the opportunity to secure home-field advantage with a win against Minnesota in Week 18, calling it “fairytale stuff” and noting that he wouldn’t want it any other way.
