The Detroit Lions enter Week 12 in unfamiliar territory: out of an NFC playoff spot. With seven weeks of the league still remaining, there is plenty of time left for Detroit to climb their way back into the postseason. In fact, they still remain in control of their own destiny. Winning out would guarantee them a third straight NFC North title and a top-three seed in the NFC.
Of course, given Detroit’s difficult schedule, winning out is a pretty tough ask of this team right now. So let’s look across the NFL’s Week 12 slate and find out which games could help Detroit’s chances to make the playoffs. Here’s your weekly Detroit Lions rooting guide:
Steelers (6-4) at Bears (7-3) — 1 p.m. ET — CBS
Who to root for: Steelers
This is one of the most important games of the week for the Lions. Many are predicting a huge fallout in Chicago, given their difficult schedule. A loss to Pittsburgh would mean Detroit could catch the Bears with a win over the Giants, given that the Lions have the head-to-head tiebreaker at the moment.
Vikings (4-6) at Packers (6-3-1-) — 1 p.m. ET — FOX
Who to root for: Vikings
While the Lions don’t want the Vikings back in the playoff mix necessarily, the Packers are the biggest concern with a better record right now. A Bears and Packers loss this week, plus a Lions win, means Detroit would regain the lead in the NFC North, setting up a huge Thanksgiving game between Detroit and Green Bay.
Seahawks (7-3) at Titans (1-9) — 1 p.m. ET — FOX
Who to root for: Titans
Always AFC over NFC. Not much hope here for an upset—Seattle is 12.5-point favorites—but Detroit could come within striking distance of the Seahawks if they tally their fourth loss of the season.
Jaguars (6-4) at Cardinals (3-7) — 4:05 p.m. ET — CBS
Who to root for: Jaguars
This game doesn’t really matter at all, as the Cardinals’ playoff chances are beyond slim, but AFC over NFC, always.
Eagles (8-2) at Cowboys (4-5-1) — 4:25 p.m. ET — FOX
Who to root for: Eagles
After Detroit lost to Philadelphia, the No. 1 seed in the NFC should no longer be a realistic goal for this team. They essentially find themselves three games back (two games plus a tiebreaker) with seven weeks to go. So, instead, let’s clear out as many Wild Card contenders as possible to ensure a postseason spot. If the Cowboys lose on Sunday night, their best possible record will be 10-6-1, and with games against the Chiefs, Lions, and Chargers remaining, even that seems unlikely.
Falcons (3-7) at Saints (2-8) — 4:25 p.m. ET — FOX
Who to root for: Saints
Also, a game that doesn’t really matter, but just being thorough here.
Buccaneers (6-4) at Rams (8-2) — 8:20 p.m. ET — NBC
Who to root for: Buccaneers
Despite the fact that this is a game between two teams in a playoff spot, this game doesn’t really matter all that much for Detroit. The Bucs are extreme favorites to win their division, and the Rams are very unlikely to fall out of a playoff spot. But since the Lions already have an edge on Tampa via head-to-head tiebreaker, I’m rooting for a Rams loss for the potential of Detroit jumping them, especially with a matchup between the two teams in a few weeks.
Panthers (6-5) at 49ers (7-4) — 8:15 p.m. ET (Monday) — ESPN/ABC
Who to root for: Panthers
The 49ers are one of the biggest threats to a Lions playoff spot, currently sitting in the seventh and final spot. While the Panthers would enter the conversation here with a win, I don’t suspect they’ll hang around too long with games against the Rams, Seahawks, and two bouts with the Buccaneers still on the schedule.
Ideal NFC playoff picture after Week 12
If all of these contests go the Lions’ way—and they beat the Giants on Sunday morning—they will have an 88 percent chance to make the postseason, according to the New York Times playoff simulator.
Here’s what the standings would look like:
Division leaders:
- Eagles: 8-3
- Rams: 8-3
- Lions: 7-4
- Buccaneers: 7-4
Wild Card race (top three advance)
5. Bears: 7-4
6. Seahawks: 7-4
7. Packers: 6-4-1
8. 49ers: 7-5
9. Panthers: 7-5
10. Cowboys: 5-5-1
11. Vikings: 5-6
The Lions would hold the three seed again, but this would produce a very tight NFC playoff picture. Essentially, there would be just two games that separate the one seed from the nine seed. Still, these teams are going to beat up on each other a lot over the final two months of the season, and sitting at 7-4 with the NFC North lead would be a nice place for Detroit heading into Thanksgiving.
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