The Detroit Lions are entering the final quarter of their season and have some tough matchups ahead. We predict their record in the final four games of the 2024 season.
NFL players and coaches often like to split the schedule up in quarters. When the league moved from 16 to 17 games, that became a little tougher to dissect the schedule into clean quartets of four games, but the tactic is still commonly used anyways.
For the Detroit Lions, they arguably just finished their third quarter of the season, holding a league-leading 12-1 record. They’ve clinched the playoffs, hold the NFC’s top spot, and drastically improved their probability to win the NFC North and obtain a first-round bye in the playoffs.
But the final stretch is drastically important and not so easy. Here are their four remaining games:
- vs. Bills (10-2)
- at Bears (4-8)
- at 49ers (5-7)
- vs. Vikings (10-2)
So today’s Question of the Day is:
What will the Lions’ record be in their final four regular season games?
My answer: I think they’ll drop one game and finish the regular season 15-2. I couldn’t tell you exactly which game it will, but it has the potential to be any of them.
The Bills are arguably the best team in the AFC and are currently riding a seven-game winning streak into their Week 14 matchup against Rams. By DVOA, they have a top-10 offense (No.2 ) and defense (No. 7). That said, their only true hallmark win was over the Chiefs.
The Bears always seem to give the Lions a hard time. Soldier Field is a tough place to play at. Will Chicago get the interim head coach bump after firing Matt Eberflus, or are they now mentally checked out given the season is basically over for them?
The 49ers are not who they were last year. Injuries have ravished the team—including their top two running backs being out for what will likely be the rest of the season. But despite their poor record, they are only two games out of the division lead. Their playoff chances are in the single digits, but if they can pick up a couple wins prior to the Lions game, they could feel they’ve still got a chance.
As for the Vikings, while their wins haven’t been very convincing… they are still winning. If that season finale is for the NFC North crown, all bets are off. Detroit narrowly escaped Minnesota with a win last time, so I would fully expect another close one in Detroit.
In other words, the Lions could win or lose any of these four games. But given their ability to close out games—and a roster that will hopefully return to better health in the upcoming weeks—I’m giving Detroit the benefit of the doubt.
