Lions Fans Week 18 Rooting Guide

All Lions takes a look at the key Week 18 NFC matchups that will impact Lions’ playoff chances and potential postseason matchups.

The final week of the regular season carries heavy playoff implications across the league. Several teams are vying for playoff seeding, while the NFC and AFC both have multiple squads battling for each conference's only available playoff spot.

In the NFC, either the Seattle Seahawks, the Green Bay Packers or the Detroit Lions will be the final team in the field. Meanwhile, the AFC will see either the Miami Dolphins, the New England Patriots or the Pittsburgh Steelers climb into the final spot.

The Lions are very much in the thick of playoff contention. In order for Dan Campbell’s team to make the playoffs, two things must happen -- the Lions must take care of business against the Packers and the Seahawks must lose to the Los Angeles Rams.

Here is a comprehensive rooting guide to the Week 18 games that impact the Lions, either with their playoff chances or 2023 NFL Draft stock. 

Playoff implications

Los Angeles Rams (5-11) at Seattle Seahawks (8-8)

(Sunday, 4:25 p.m., FOX)

Ironically, the team which can improve Detroit’s draft position the most is the same team that could push it into the playoffs.

The Rams, which have struggled all season long, could see the first-round pick they traded to the Lions become a top-five choice with a loss. Yet, if they defeat Seattle, it will make the Lions’ Sunday matchup with the Packers a true win-and-get-in situation.

Currently, the Rams’ first-rounder sits at No. 6 overall. Should the Rams lose, their pick would not drop lower than where it is currently.

It’s interesting to note that the Seahawks will, in fact, be rooting for Detroit Sunday night. If the Packers win, they would reach the playoffs regardless of the result of Seattle’s game against the Rams (due to a tiebreaker).

Lions fans wishing to see their team make the postseason will need to root hard for Baker Mayfield and company to pull off the upset over Pete Carroll’s Seahawks.

Minnesota Vikings (12-4) at Chicago Bears (2-14)

(Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX)

Assuming the Lions can scratch the playoff surface, they will do so as the No. 7 seed. As a result, they will have a first-round matchup against the No. 2 seed. Given their history this season, Detroit would be licking its chops for a third chance at the Vikings.

The Lions lost the first game between the two teams this season in heartbreaking fashion, but won the second rather handily at home. The only way the two teams would meet again is if the Lions find their way in, the Vikings win and the San Francisco 49ers lose to the Arizona Cardinals.

Arizona Cardinals (4-12) at San Francisco 49ers (12-4)

(Sunday, 4:25 p.m., FOX)

A 49ers loss, paired with a Vikings win, would flip the two from their current playoff seedings. It would drop San Francisco into the No. 3 seed and a matchup with the New York Giants, while the Vikings would bump into the second seed to take on whoever gets through among Seattle, Detroit and Green Bay.

Given the Cardinals’ struggles over the last two months, this will be a difficult task. Former Lions quarterback David Blough started last week for the Cardinals, and will do so again against the 49ers.

Blough will have a tough task ahead of him, as the 49ers' defense is among the best in the league. This defense is a key reason why the Lions, should they get in, would benefit from avoiding a first-round meeting with the 49ers.

Dallas Cowboys (12-4) at Washington Commanders (7-8-1)

New York Giants (9-6-1) at Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)

(Both games — Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX)

Sticking with hypothetical playoff scenarios, the Lions played very close with the Eagles in Week 1, but suffered a 24-6 defeat to Dallas in Week 7. For that reason, they’d rather see Philadelphia sooner in the postseason.

A Dallas win, paired with a Philadelphia loss, would give the Cowboys the NFC East title. In that same scenario, a win by San Francisco would move the 49ers into the top seed and a first-round bye, meaning that Dallas would play the No. 7 seed during the postseason's opening weekend.

Traveling to "Jerry World" would only bring back bad memories for Detroit fans, which watched as the team suffered a devastating loss to Dallas in the 2014 playoffs. Additionally, the Cowboys have been phenomenal as of late, and would be a tough draw.

The Eagles, meanwhile, have been banged up, and have lost two of three entering this weekend. They’ve appeared more vulnerable as of late, and would be a better draw.

David Reginek, USA TODAY Sports

Draft order implications

Houston Texans (2-13-1) at Indianapolis Colts (4-11-1)

(Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS)

The Texans currently hold the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 Draft, and would ensure it with a loss. However, the Rams' first-round pick could drop lower than the Colts’ pick should Houston win.

Neither team has been good down the stretch, with Indianapolis shuffling through signal-callers and the Texans coming up short in close games. Houston has little motivation to win, given the fact that it holds the draft’s top choice. But, it could help Detroit move a spot higher if it can find a way to win.

A loss by the Rams and a win by the Colts would move the Lions to the No. 5 spot in the draft order, as the Rams would be lower based on Indianapolis’ tie earlier in the season.

Kansas City Chiefs (13-3) at Las Vegas Raiders (6-10)

(Saturday, 4:30 p.m., ESPN/ABC)

The Raiders are one of three teams at 6-10, along with the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons. The Panthers travel to New Orleans (Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX), while the Falcons host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX).

Any of the three 6-10 teams winning would eliminate the possibility of them picking higher than the Rams. Also, the Rams' strength of schedule would keep their pick closer to the top, than any of these teams finishing with an identical record to Los Angeles.

Lions fans should hope for the upsets here. 

The reason why: The Rams winning a sixth game to help Detroit’s playoff chances would do nothing toward moving their draft pick in a positive direction for the Lions.