Lions’ Playoff Hopes Hang by a Thread After Bears Shock Packers
Right now, the Detroit Lions are walking a razor-thin line between staying alive in the playoff race and watching the postseason slip away. Everything changed Saturday night when the Chicago Bears stunned the Green Bay Packers in overtime, a result that sent shockwaves through the NFC North and made Detroit’s path much steeper than it already was.
At first glance, the Bears’ win felt like a gut punch for the Lions. If Green Bay had held on, Detroit would have regained control of its own destiny. Instead, the Bears tightened their grip on the division, pushing the Lions into a position where almost everything has to go right from here on out. The Lions now sit at 8-6, and while they are technically still alive, the margin for error has basically disappeared.
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The reality is simple: the Lions will likely need to win all three of their remaining games to have a realistic shot at the playoffs, whether that ends up being as a wild card or through an unlikely NFC North title. That’s a tall order for a team that hasn’t put together back-to-back wins in nearly three months. Consistency has been hard to come by, and that makes this late-season surge feel more like a hope than an expectation.
Still, the door hasn’t been slammed shut. Because of the Bears’ win, a strange but intriguing scenario remains on the table. If both the Bears and Packers stumble down the stretch, and if Detroit can take care of business against Pittsburgh and Minnesota, Week 18 in Chicago could turn into a winner-take-all showdown for the division crown. In that case, the Lions would not only sneak into the playoffs but also earn a home playoff game. It’s a long shot, but it’s not impossible.
There are other paths as well, though none are easy. Detroit can leapfrog San Francisco, but only if the Lions win out and the 49ers lose all three of their remaining games. Tiebreakers are not working in Detroit’s favor, which means outside help is required almost every step of the way. Even a 2-1 finish might not be enough unless Green Bay completely collapses over its final two games.
What makes this stretch even more challenging is the competition. The 49ers are chasing the No. 1 seed, the Ravens are fighting for their playoff lives, and the Vikings have already proven they can physically overwhelm Detroit. Nothing will be handed to the Lions.
So yes, the Lions can still make the playoffs. But after the Bears’ dramatic win, they are now on the thinnest ice possible. From here on out, perfection may be required — and even that might not be enough.
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