After the Green Bay Packers lost two games, the Commanders got a gift on Thursday night when the Lions beat the Packers 34-31 at Ford Field in Detroit.

With the game tied at 31-31, the Lions started on their own and embarked on an 11-play drive that ended with Jake Bates’ 35-yard walk-off field goal. This goal gave the Lions the win and secured their spot in the playoffs (12-1).

The Commanders are 8-5 and enjoying a much-needed bye week, while the Packers fall to 9-4 with this walk-off loss on the road to the Lions. The Commanders are now just a single game behind the Packers.

The Commanders are No. 7 while the Packers are No. 6. There is a huge difference between seventh and sixth in the NFC playoff picture this 2024 season.

In the opening round of the playoffs, the seventh seed will face the second seed, which will most likely be the Lions or Eagles. The sixth seed will travel to play the third seed. If you noticed, the Falcons and Bucs are tied at 6-6 in the NFC South, while the Seahawks (7-5) lead the NFC West. The third-seeded team will be the division leader of either the NFC South or the NFC West.

The Commanders and Packers have now played 13 games and have four games remaining on their respective schedules.

Oh, how angry the Commanders must be because they played so poorly at home and lost to the Cowboys two weeks ago. They all know now that they should be at least tied with the Packers for sixth place in the NFC standings.

The Packers’ remaining schedule is as follows:

• @Seattle Seahawks

• New Orleans Saints

• @Minnesota Vikings

• Chicago Bears

The commander’s remaining schedule is as follows:

• @New Orleans Saints

• Philadelphia Eagles

• Atlanta Falcons

• @Dallas Cowboys

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders get an early Christmas present