How Detroit can secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC

The Detroit Lions have been at the top of the NFC for most of the 2024 NFL season. But one of her biggest challengers has finally caught up with her.

The Minnesota Vikings have been within striking distance of Detroit since the Lions’ win in Week 7, but after a 27-25 win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, the Vikings have moved up in the standings, albeit temporarily.

This sets up a crucial matchup between the division rivals in Week 18 to determine the winner of the NFC North and the No. 1 seed in the conference.

How can the Lions secure the No. 1 seed? They won’t be able to do that in their Monday Night Football matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, but they should still be highly motivated to win this contest. Here’s why.

NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE WEEK 17:Rams win NFC West; Vikings move to NFC

NFL STATISTICS CENTER: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Lions playoff scenarios

The Lions have already secured a playoff spot and will be either the No. 1 seed in the NFC or the No. 5 seed. It all depends on whether they can prevail against the Vikings in the race for the NFC North.

Detroit will be the No. 1 seed in the NFC if they beat or tie the Vikings in Week 18. The Lions will be the No. 5 seed in the NFC if they lose to the Vikings.

Therefore, the Lions’ Week 18 game against the Vikings will act as a matchup for the winner of the NFC top seed.

Lions vs. Vikings tiebreaker explained

There is only one way for the Lions and Vikings to finish tied in the standings at the end of the season: a tie in their Week 18 game.

Should either situation develop, the Lions would have the tiebreaker advantage. Detroit defeated Minnesota 31-29 in Week 7 as Jahmyr Gibbs totaled 160 yards and a touchdown on 19 touchdowns. So if the Lions win or tie against the Vikings in Week 18, they will have a superior head-to-head record.

Had the Packers beat the Vikings in Week 17, the tiebreaker scenarios could have been more complex. Detroit and Minnesota could have been level in the standings if the Vikings had won. That would have forced the NFL to move further down the tiebreaker list since both teams would have identical head-to-head, division and conference records.

However, the Vikings defeated the Packers with a 27-25 victory, ending that possibility. Therefore, the NFL does not need to go beyond the first tiebreaker (head-to-head results) to determine the NFC North winner – if tiebreakers must be used.

Monday Night Football:The Lions face the 49ers in the second leg of last season’s NFC Championship game

Potential playoff opponents for the Lions

If the Lions are the No. 1 seed in the NFC, they will receive a much-needed bye in the first round and then play the lowest remaining seed in the NFC group.

If Detroit ends up being the No. 5 seed, it will face one of the following three teams:

The Buccaneers are currently ranked as the No. 4 seed in the NFC and only need to win or draw against the New Orleans Saints in Week 18 to secure a spot in the playoffs. If the Rams win or draw against the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay would be seeded 4th.

If the Rams lose to the Seahawks and the Buccaneers beat the Saints, Tampa Bay would be No. 3 and Sean McVay’s Los Angeles squad would be No. 4.

The Falcons can only be the No. 4 seed if they fight their way into the playoffs. They will only advance with a win over the Carolina Panthers and a loss against the Buccaneers.

The Lions beat the Rams 26-20 in Week 1, lost to the Buccaneers 20-16 in Week 2 and did not play the Falcons in the regular season.

NFL Week 17 Winners and Losers:The Colts erupt in epic fashion with an elimination loss to the Giants

NFL playoff image

Below is what the NFL playoffs look like ahead of Detroit’s “Monday Night Football” game against San Francisco:

AFC

Kansas City Chiefs (15-1, AFC West winner, No. 1 seed)*
Buffalo Bills (13-3, AFC East winner, No. 2 seed)*
Baltimore Ravens (11-5, AFC North leaders)*
Houston Texans (9-7, AFC South winner)*
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6, Wild Card No. 1)*
Los Angeles Chargers (10-6, Wild Card No. 2)*
Denver Broncos (9-7, Wild Card No. 3)

denotes teams that have secured a spot in the playoffs. Teams that have won division titles will be marked accordingly.

Breaking News

Dellupodisabato

How Detroit can secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC

Leave a Reply Cancel reply