The Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills are two of the twelve NFL teams that have never won a Super Bowl. A third of those franchises, including the Lions, have never appeared in the game. Nobody has lost four games in a row like the Bills.

The two Canadian border towns have supported their teams through thick and thin. Detroit and Buffalo both dream of achieving the highest level of success in football – so far unattainable.

The two teams will meet in a Super Bowl preview of sorts on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS). According to ESPN Analytics, the Lions (37.9%) and Bills (27.2%) are the favorites to reach the Super Bowl in their conferences.

With both teams already punching their ticket to the postseason, the next step for the Lions is to win the NFC North after the Bills have already won the AFC East. Both teams have their eyes on number 1 with four games to go. The Bills (10-3) and Lions (12-1) enter this matchup with a combined winning percentage of 0.846, which is the fourth-highest attendance for a matchup in Week 15 or later since the 1970 merger, according to ESPN Research.

The quarterbacks showed the way. Josh Allen of the Bills is the leader in MVP odds according to ESPN BET and leads the league in Total QBR (76.7), while Jared Goff of the Lions is having the best season of his career, completing 72.4% of passes . The performances led to high-scoring crimes. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this will be the fourth time since the merger in 1970 that two teams averaging 30 points per game will meet in Week 15 or later.

Game of the season? Maybe yes. This is how the two teams perform.

Detroit Lions (12-1)

FPI overall ranking: 1st place (8.4)

Chances of winning the division: 89.4%

Chances of making the playoffs: 100%

Chances of 1st place: 76%

Odds of reaching/winning the Super Bowl: 38.7 / 24.7%

Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, at Bears, at 49ers, vs. Vikings

What makes the Lions offense so good?

The simple answer is the talent on this roster. However, it is much more than that. Goff runs the ship along with coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes. The Lions have assembled a roster full of young players through the draft who have made immediate contributions, such as WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, WR Jameson Williams, TE Sam LaPorta and RT Penei Sewell, all of whom are 25 years old are younger.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is also arguably the best playmaker in the league, and he isn’t afraid to give it his all on every possession. Under his leadership, the Lions boast one of the most creative and productive offenses in the NFL, which has helped make Johnson a top head coaching candidate heading into the offseason.

What impact has Goff had on this team?

Goff is having an MVP season, helped by the many weapons around him. Entering Sunday’s game, the 2016 first-round pick has completed at least 75% of his passes seven times this season, which is the second-most such plays in a season ever behind Tom Brady (eight in 2007), according to ESPN Research. with at least 15 pass attempts in every game. More importantly, Goff earned the trust of his teammates as the man who led the franchise to its first Super Bowl.

“The way he goes about his business is the same guy comes in every day and everyone is drawn to his energy,” Sewell told ESPN. “We all just follow him and we all love that about him.”

How can the Lions reach the Super Bowl?

The Lions have a top-five offense and a top-five defense and have rattled off 11 straight wins. So you just have to keep working at this level. You can’t skip any steps and Campbell emphasizes attention to detail in the weekly preparation. With the roster they have, Detroit is confident and offers a nightmare matchup for any team in the league.

“We still understand the task. We know no matter what happens, it’s up to us,” Lions rookie cornerback Terrion Arnold told ESPN. “We don’t look at the other factors, what they do, it goes through us.”

What could stop the Lions from making the playoffs?

Injuries. It’s a miracle that Detroit continues to play at such a high level without missing players like Pro Bowl edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who suffered a broken tibia and fibula in Week 6 in Dallas. But he’s not the only defender out.

The Lions had 13 defensive players on the injured reserve list, the most in the league, in last week’s 34-31 win over the Packers, and then defensive tackle Alim McNeill was ruled out for the second half with a concussion. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has been able to adapt so far, but one has to wonder if these injuries will catch up at some point.

Who do the Lions have to worry about in this upcoming matchup?

With the Lions (32.1 PPG) and Bills (30.5 PPG) ranking first and second in the NFL in offensive scoring this season, Detroit’s defense must be ready for the challenge. Buffalo has explosive weapons with quarterback Josh Allen, running back James Cook and wide receiver Khalil Shakir. Despite all of Detroit’s defensive injuries, Lions cornerback Carlton Davis said they will continue to view the Bills as a “nameless, faceless opponent” – meaning the team’s main focus is weekly improvement, regardless of the opponent.

“I feel like we’ve been tested all year. Last week was a test that was hot in Green Bay, and this year we had different tests,” Davis told ESPN. “It’s part of the game, it’s the NFL…for us, we just work. We tact and whatever your habits are, you will win. It’s the same thing.”

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Buffalo Bills (10-3)

FPI overall ranking: 2nd place (6.7)

Chances of winning the division: 100%

Chances of making the playoffs: 100%

Chances of 1st place: 17.1%

Odds of reaching/winning the Super Bowl: 27.2% / 14.1%

Remaining schedule: @ Lions, vs. Patriots, vs. Jets, @ Patriots

What makes the Bills offense so good?

Josh Allen. This offense isn’t nearly as good or successful without #17.

Many of the stats don’t necessarily jump out at the quarterback, but he has thrown just five interceptions compared to 14-13 games last season, and the Bills are second in the league in turnovers.

The offensive line was another big reason for the Bills’ success. She allowed a league-low 13 sacks and was consistent with only one starter missing a game this year. This is a line that can be dominant up front, as evidenced by the win over the 49ers (220 rushing yards).

What impact has Allen had on this team?

Why wouldn’t it be a shorter question to answer. He emerged as one of two team captains this year (the other being LB Terrel Bernard).

In his seventh season, Allen has shown the ability to test the team and score with both his legs and his arm. He ranks second in the NFL in total touchdowns with 32.

The Bills have won games this season thanks in large part to Allen’s ability to make a play when needed; There is no better example than his game-winning fourth-down touchdown run to beat the Kansas City Chiefs.

How can the Bills reach the Super Bowl?

Everything fits together. That might sound too simple, but in one playoff run after another, all sorts of hurdles have stood in the way of the Bills. From injuries to poor tact management to defensive errors, but The The team has proven that it has the talent, coaching and ability to play with the best in the league.

Allen performed at his best in the postseason. The next step comes from defense and special teams showing up when it matters most.

What could stop the Bills from making the playoffs?

Defense. The problem was that they allowed too many big plays to be put on display against their Week 14 opponent, the Los Angeles Rams.

The Bills have allowed the third-most plays of 10 or more yards, including draws on the third-most of those passing plays. The Baltimore Ravens and Rams offenses showed the ability to exploit this.

The Bills’ inability to get off the field on third down (25) is another area of ​​concern. The concern for the Bills extends to the floor as well, as there are consistency issues against the run.

One area to watch: Kicker Tyler Bass. He has improved after early season problems, but his reliability is still a concern.

Who do the Bills have to worry about in this upcoming matchup?

Does the entire offense count? The Lions pose a formidable challenge overall, but especially for the Bills’ defense, which faces Goff, a formidable running back duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Winning the battle at the top and forcing turnovers will be crucial after the Bills’ league-best 14-game streak ended with a takeaway last Sunday. “They do a great job, especially in the play-action game and the screen game,” coach Sean McDermott said of the Lions.

Safety Taylor Rapp (neck) and cornerback Rasul Douglas (knee) are dealing with injuries that would be key misses in this matchup.