It’s easy to argue that the Detroit Lions are the best team in the NFL. They lead the league in points per game and rank seventh in points conceded, despite battling countless injuries on the defensive side of the ball. They lead the NFL by a margin of +194 points. Oh yeah, they’re also 13-2.

Normally, a team that is 13-2 and has played as well as the Lions would already have the division and No. 1 seed. With the Minnesota Vikings sitting at 14-2, that’s not even close to the case. Regardless of what the Lions do against the San Francisco 49ers Monday night football, The winner of the NFC North and the No. 1 seed in the NFC will be the team that emerges victorious from the Week 18 game with Detroit and Minnesota.

Considering that the outcome of this upcoming Week 17 game doesn’t matter at all, it’s safe to assume that the Lions would consider resting some or all of their players in preparation for a big final game of the regular season to prepare. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said this in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, won’t happen at all.

I can understand the reluctance to give players a break and not just hand the game over to an opponent, but the Lions are playing a dangerous game of going all out.

This Lions team has been decimated by injuries, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. What happens if they lose another key player or two – especially in this regard? Is it worth risking one in a meaningless game even if they weren’t dealing with countless injuries?

An argument can already be made that Detroit faces an uphill battle due to injuries in a top-heavy NFC conference. Can they win the conference? Absolutely, but it will be much more difficult if the likes of Aidan Hutchinson, David Montgomery, Alim McNeill and others can’t play. Adding more key players to this list in a meaningless game would be a brutal result.

What makes this decision even worse is that Detroit’s Week 18 game would be on a short week and they would be playing in just six days. Do the Lions want their players to be less rested than they normally would before their biggest game of the season?

A revenge win against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season would be nice, but this is not remotely the same 49ers team that ended their year. The Lions shouldn’t even think about last year as they arguably have a better chance of winning the Super Bowl this season.

Again, revenge would be sweet, and there’s something to be said about not taking your foot off the gas, but the risks far outweigh the reward the Lions will receive from not resting their starters in a completely meaningless game.