The Lions can clinch the playoffs this weekend, here's how

The Detroit Lions have been served up with their first playoff clinching scenario of the year and it can happen this weekend. Some things need to break the Lions way first, but here's how it can happen.  First off, it's important to note that this simply means the Lions are guaranteed a playoff spot. To […]

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions have been served up with their first playoff clinching scenario of the year and it can happen this weekend. Some things need to break the Lions way first, but here's how it can happen. 

First off, it's important to note that this simply means the Lions are guaranteed a playoff spot. To clinch the divsion for the time since 1993, they have to very simply win the next two games and they're divsion champs. Here's how they can guarantee a playoff spot this weekend. 

  • Scenario one: Lions beat Broncos and Vikings and Seahawks lose. This might be the best scenario for the Lions. The Vikings play the Bengals coming off two straight wins and the Seahawks take on the Eagles. 
  • Scenario two: Lions beat Broncos and Packers and Seahawks lose. The Packers are taking on the Buccaneers coming off a two game win streak. They have that game at home though. Lambeau is always tough. 
  • Scenario three: Lions beat Broncos and Rams and Seahawks lose. The Rams take on the Commanders at home. That looks like a game that Matthew Stafford could go off in. Bad scenario here.
  • Scenario four: Lions beat Broncos and Vikings, Buccaneers and Rams lose. This would make the Bucs and the Rams eight loss teams. They would not be able to catch the Lions. The Vikings would go to 7-7. 
  • Scenario five: Lions beat Broncos and Vikings, Falcons and Rams lose. Again, another situation where the eight loss teams can't catch the Lions. 
  • Scenario six: Lions beat Broncos and Falcons, Packers and Rams lose. The final eight loss scenario. The Packers would fall to eight losses here as well. Meaning they would be eliminated from competing for the divsion crown.

There you go. Six scenarios. Again, the easiest one is the top one. Both the Lions and Vikings play on Saturday. If the Vikings lose to the Bengals early in the day and the Lions win in primetime, all eyes will be on that Eagles and Seahawks game on Monday night. We'll see what happens. 

Are Jerry Jacobs and Cam Sutton the worst cornerback duo in the NFL?

Everyone takes losing in a different way. Some take it in stride. They look at what went wrong and think "that sucked, but it's not something that can't be overcome." Others take a much different path and then demand that everyone get fired while also saying that the "house is on fire and the Detroit […]

Related Articles