The Detroit Lions finally got some help in the NFC playoff race, and now the No. 1 seed is closer than ever.
Not only did the Detroit Lions take care of business against the Chicago Bears.
Not only did they seemingly come out of the game healthy.
But they finally got some help from other games around the league. The Philadelphia Eagles—after losing Jalen Hurts in the first quarter to a concussion—saw their 10-game winning streak come to an end. The Washington Commanders came back and scored the game-winning touchdown with just six seconds left to hand the Eagles a 36-33 loss.
The Lions locker room was audibly excited when the Commanders made the game-winning play.
Commanders just took a lead over the Eagles during Dan Campbell’s postgame presser. Six seconds left. Heard the locker room cheer.
— Colton Pouncy (@colton_pouncy) December 22, 2024
The defeat moves the Eagles to 12-3 on the season, while the Lions moved to 13-2. Not only do the Lions now have a one-game lead over the Eagles, but they also have the key tiebreaker: holding a 9-1 record in conference games to the Eagles’ 7-3 record. That means if the Lions win their division—and win just one of their remaining two games—they will clinch the NFC’s top seed.
Here’s a look at the NFL playoff standings, not including any results from the 4 p.m. ET games yet.
Division leaders:
- Lions: 13-2
- Eagles: 12-3
- Rams: 9-6
- Buccaneers: 8-6
Wild card leaders:
5. Vikings: 12-2 (still playing)
6. Packers: 10-4 (SNF game)
7. Commanders: 10-5
In the hunt:
8. Seahawks: 8-6
9. Falcons: 8-7
Everyone else is eliminated from playoff contention.
If the Lions can get some help against the Vikings, Detroit could make Week 18 a meaningless game for the Lions. If Minnesota drops Week 16’s game against the Seahawks or Week 17 vs. the Packers, all the Lions will need to do is beat the 49ers to clinch the NFC North and the NFC’s top seed.
It’s soooo close.
