Every possible Detroit Lions playoff scenario through the NFC championship explained
Santa Clara, Calif. — Nearly a month after the Detroit Lions clinched a playoff berth, the team’s path to a potential Super Bowl appearance will look vastly different depending on the result of next Sunday’s game with the Minnesota Vikings.
Regardless of the outcome of Detroit’s Monday night matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, next week's game against the 14-2 Vikings will determine not only the NFC North, but the conference’s No. 1 seed and the bye week attached to that.
If the Lions top the Vikings for the second time this season, they’ll enjoy a week off to rest and recuperate before welcoming the lowest-seeded team remaining after the wild-card round to Ford Field.
And if the Vikings emerge victorious — earning their 10th straight win and a measure of revenge after the Lions knocked them off at their place in Week 7 — Detroit will drop to the No. 5 seed, pack their bags, and hit the road for the postseason’s opening round.
Six of the conference's seven playoff spots have been claimed, yet there’s plenty of jostling still going on with the seeding. Only the NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles are locked into their slot as the No. 2 seed.
Ahead of the final week of the regular season, let’s explore the various outcomes for the Detroit Lions through both the wild-card and divisional rounds of the playoffs.