Lions Can Be Eliminated from Playoffs Week 17

The Detroit Lions now face a must-win game against the Chicago Bears.

The Detroit Lions wasted an opportunity to wake up on Christmas morning holding one of the seven positions in the NFC playoffs. 

Had the Lions been victorious against the Panthers, the team would have been more in control of its destiny. Remember, the Commanders, the Giants and the Seahawks all lost in Week 16. 

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“You get what you deserve in this league,” Dan Campbell said, following his team's crushing 37-23 defeat at Bank of America Stadium. “That's why you love it. It's heartbreaking, but it's also why I love it, man. And, we all love it. If you're a true competitor, we got exactly what we deserved today."

Now, the team must win its final two games, plus hope the Seahawks, Commanders or Giants falter down the stretch. 

Currently, Detroit sits in the same playoff position as it entered Week 16 in. The Lions are currently a half-game out of a playoff spot.  

The best scenario for Detroit is to finish the 2022 season by defeating the Bears and the Packers. Both the Commanders and the Seahawks each must lose one more game. If that scenario does not occur, the Giants must lose two more games. 

Unfortunately, the Lions could be facing elimination all together from the postseason, following the conclusion of Week 17. 

Campbell's team can be excluded from the postseason this year if two things occur: if it is defeated by the Bears next weekend at Ford Field and if either the Commanders or Seahawks end up winning.

If the Lions are able to defeat the Bears, there is still an opportunity for the Packers game at Lambeau Field to have meaning.