An updated look at the NFC Playoff picture following the Detroit Lions loss to the Buffalo Bills.
In Week 15, the Detroit Lions lost their first game since Week 2 of the 2024 season, falling to 12-2 on the year. While the Lions have already locked up a spot in the playoffs and still currently hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC, things have suddenly got a little tighter with three games remaining in the regular season.
Let’s update where the NFC playoff standings land, following the Lions’ loss to the Buffalo Bills.
NOTE: This article was updated following the conclusion of all Sunday’s games.
NFC North standings:
- Lions: 12-2
- Vikings: 11-2 — Play the Bears on “Monday Night Football”
- Packers: 10-4
- Bears: 4-9 — Play the Vikings on “Monday Night Football”
While the Vikings and Bears still have to play their game, the NFC title will likely come down to the Lions and Vikings, as the Packers are nearly mathematically eliminated.
Regardless of the Vikings-Bears outcome, the Lions will remain in first place in the NFC North after Week 15 concludes. That’s because, even if the Vikings beat the Bears and even up their record at 12-2, the Lions hold the tiebreaker after winning the head-to-head battle earlier in the season.
Here’s a look at each team’s remaining schedule:
Lions:
- at Bears (4-9)
- at 49ers (6-7)
- vs. Vikings (11-2)
Vikings:
- vs. Bears (4-9) — on MNF
- at Seahawks (8-5)
- vs. Packers (9-4)
- at Lions (12-1)
As far as the conference, the Lions’ loss tightens things up at the top, but they will also stay in first place in the NFC due to tiebreakers.
NFC Standings
- Lions: 12-2
- Eagles: 12-2
- Buccaneers: 8-6
- Rams: 8-6
While the Lions and Eagles have identical records, they have not played each other head-to-head (the first tiebreaker), so we have to look to the team’s conference record to determine the second tie-breaker. The Lions are 8-1 versus NFC opponents, while the Eagles are 7-2, which is why the Lions stay in the No. 1 slot.
Because the Packers beat the Seahawks on Sunday night, the Rams move to the top of the NFC West and into the No. 4 seed, while the Bucs move up to the No. 3 seed. Like the Lions-Eagles, seeding between the Rams and Bucs comes down to the conference record tiebreaker where the Bucs hold a 6-3 record vs. NFC opponents and the Rams are 5-5.
Here’s how the rest of the NFC looks heading into this week’s prime-time games.
Wild card race (top 3 advance):
5. Vikings: 11-2 (Play on MNF)
6. Packers: 10-4
7. Commanders: 9-5
8. Seahawks: 8-6
9. Cardinals: 7-7
10. Falcons: 6-7 (Play on MNF)
11. 49ers: 6-8
12. Cowboys: 6-8
The Seahawks are also 8-6 (like the Rams and Bucs) but they drop to the No. 8 seed because the Rams hold the tiebreaker over them (a head-to-head win). This NFC West could come down to the wire, because the Seahawks and Rams face off in Week 18, though it’s fair to say Seattle has the more challenging path. In addition to playing each other, the Seahawks have games against the Vikings and Bears, while the Rams face the Jets and Cardinals.
Mock draftin’
13. Saints: 5-9
14. Bears: 4-9 (Play on MNF)
15. Panthers: 3-11
16. Giants: 2-12
