After eleven straight wins, the Lions finally lost a football game. They lost to Josh Allen and the Bills 48-42 in Detroit on Sunday, dropping them to 12-2 on the season.

This is huge for the Vikings, who now control their own destiny in the NFC North. With a win over the Bears on Monday night, they can go 12-2 against the Lions and if they win, they are guaranteed the division title. It won’t be easy by any means – the Vikings end up with tough games in Seattle, against Green Bay and in Detroit – but it’s not impossible either.

Previously, the Vikings could have won based on playing together and still lost a tiebreaker to the Lions (the Lions beat the Rams, who beat the Vikings). This unlikely scenario would have put them at No. 5 despite a 15-2 record. This loss in Detroit changes things – and increases the likelihood that the division title will be on the line when these two teams meet in Week 18.

The Lions are still clearly the favorites to win the NFC North as they play the Bears next week and play the crucial regular-season finale at home against Minnesota. But the Vikings are there. There’s also a scenario where the Vikings lose to either the Seahawks or Packers in Week 17 and the Lions lose to the 49ers in San Francisco, leading to a winner-take-all game in Detroit.

The Vikings will almost certainly need to go at least 2-1, if not 3-0, in their next three games to stay in the division race. Their quest for the NFC North title must begin with a home win over the Bears on Monday night.

It’s not entirely clear whether the Vikings control their own destiny in the race for the top spot in the NFC. The Eagles also reached 12-2 on Sunday, and there could be a win tiebreaker between Minnesota and Philadelphia.

This was a pretty exciting game between the Lions and Bills as the two highest scoring teams in the NFL this season played the highest scoring game of the season. They combined for 90 points and a whopping 1,080 total yards. Buffalo jumped out to an early 14-0 lead and led by seven points at halftime. They were ahead 35-14 toward the end of the third quarter. Dan Campbell’s decision to score an onside kickdown at 38-28 early in the fourth quarter was controversial and didn’t pay off. The Bills returned the onside kick at the 5 and scored a touchdown on the next play. The Lions managed to score a single goal, but were unable to get another onside kick in the final seconds to give themselves a chance at a Hail Mary.

Allen, who established himself as the MVP favorite, had 430 total yards and 4 touchdowns. James Cook had 133 yards and 2 touchdowns. In a losing effort, Jared Goff threw for 494 yards and 5 touchdowns on 59 attempts.

It’s also worth noting that the Lions’ injuries on the defensive side of the ball continue to mount. They were already missing numerous defensive players, and now they might have lost DT Alim McNeill and CB Carlton Davis III for the season.

With a Seahawks loss to the Packers on Sunday night or a win over the Bears on Monday, the Vikings can officially secure their inevitable playoff spot.

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