Lions' loss to Bills means Vikings control their destiny in NFC North

Detroit finally lost a game after winning 11 in a row. The Vikings have life in the division.

Dec 15, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) runs for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the second quarter at Ford Field. / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

After 11 consecutive wins, the Lions have finally lost a football game. They fell 48-42 to Josh Allen and the Bills in Detroit on Sunday, dropping to 12-2 on the season.

That's huge for the Vikings, who now control their own destiny in the NFC North. They can tie the Lions at 12-2 with a win over the Bears on Monday night, and if they win out, they're guaranteed to claim the division title. That won't be easy, by any means — the Vikings finish with tough games at Seattle, vs. Green Bay, and at Detroit — but it's also not impossible.

Previously, the Vikings could've won out and still lost a tiebreaker to the Lions due to common games (the Lions beat the Rams, who beat the Vikings). That unlikely scenario would've made them the No. 5 seed despite a 15-2 record. This Detroit loss now changes things — and increases the likelihood that the Week 18 meeting between these two teams will be for the division crown.

The Lions are still definitely the favorites to win the NFC North, as they play the Bears next week and get to play the key regular season finale against Minnesota at home. But the Vikings are in the mix. There's also a scenario where the Vikings lose to either the Seahawks or Packers and the Lions lose to the 49ers in San Francisco in Week 17, setting up a winner-take-all game in Detroit.

The Vikings will almost certainly need to go at least 2-1, if not 3-0, over their next three games to stay alive in the division race. Their pursuit of the NFC North title has to start with a home win over the Bears on Monday night.

It's not totally clear if the Vikings control their own destiny in the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Eagles also moved to 12-2 on Sunday, and it could come down to a strength of victory tiebreaker between Minnesota and Philadelphia.

This was quite the game between the Lions and Bills, as the two highest-scoring teams in the NFL this season played the highest-scoring game of the season. They combined for 90 points and a whopping 1,080 total yards. Buffalo took an early 14-0 lead and led by seven points at halftime. Late in the third quarter, they were up 35-14. Dan Campbell's decision to kick an onside kick down 38-28 early in the fourth quarter was a controversial one that didn't pay off. The Bills returned the onside kick to the 5 and scored a touchdown on the next play. The Lions made it a one-score finish but couldn't recover another onside kick in the final seconds to give themselves a chance at a Hail Mary.

Allen, who cemented himself as the MVP favorite, had 430 total yards and 4 touchdowns. James Cook had 133 yards and 2 TDs. In a losing effort, Jared Goff threw for 494 yards and 5 TDs on 59 attempts.

It's also notable that the injuries continue to pile up for the Lions on the defensive side of the ball. They were already missing numerous defensive players, and now they might have lost DT Alim McNeill and CB Carlton Davis III for the season as well.

The Vikings can officially clinch their inevitable playoff spot with a Seahawks loss to the Packers on Sunday night or a win over the Bears on Monday.

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