What Vikings Defeating Packers in Week 17 Means For Lions

Lions' path to No. 1 seed in NFC is now crystal clear.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) prepares for the snap against the Minnesota Vikings / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions have one simple objective if they want to be the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the playoffs.

With the Minnesota Vikings defeating the Green Bay Packers at home in Week 17, a Lions win against San Francisco and a win or tie over Minnesota in Week 18 would clinch both the NFC North and the NFC's No. 1 seed in the postseason.

The result of the Lions' impending Monday game against the San Francisco 49ers has little immediate consequence. However, if the Lions were to lose and lose or tie with the Vikings next week, they would be the No. 5 seed and Minnesota would win the division.

If Detroit were to lose on Monday and defeat the Vikings, it would win the division despite both teams being 14-3 due to the head-to-head tiebreaker.

With the top seed, Detroit would earn a first-round bye and home-field advantage.

With the Lions playing in primetime on Monday, it allowed them to observe how the showdown between the Packers and Vikings would play out.

However, fourth-year head coach Dan Campbell was adamant that his team would not be focusing on any result outside of their own in Monday's game against the 49ers.

“It really is. That’s where our soul focus has to be," Campbell said. "If we start thinking of any other scenario, any other thought, man, we’re not gonna have the right mindset to go in here and win this game. We can’t have that.” 

Quarterback Jared Goff stressed keeping an even-keel heading into the regular season's final two games. All throughout the year, the Lions have kept their focus on only the opponent ahead of them, which has helped fuel them to their 13-2 record.

"At this point in the season, we’re going to play San Francisco and then after that we play Minnesota and then after that the playoffs start," Goff explained. "So, those two teams right there, there’s no breaks. We have a lot of tough teams ahead of us. (Offensive Coordinator) Ben (Johnson) said it great, ‘It’s now, playoffs kind of start now.’ It’s a bunch of good teams we’re going to play and go on the road again this week to a hard atmosphere and have to try to find a way to win.”

Additional reading

1.) Roundtable: Jahmyr Gibbs' Role, Evaluating Lions' Defense

2.) Lions Listed as Potential Landing Spot for Dolphins DT Calais Campbell

3.) Za'Darius Smith Still Irate at Packers: 'They Lied'