NFC playoff picture: Detroit Lions Week 17 playoff elimination scenarios

NFC playoff picture: Detroit Lions Week 17 playoff elimination scenarios

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If the Detroit Lions had beaten the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, they would not only be in playoff position now, but they would be discussing how to qualify for the playoffs by New Year’s Day this Monday morning. .

Unfortunately, their humiliating loss forces us to deal with the exact opposite scenario this week. zero The Lions have their chance in Week 17, but if they’re not careful they could very well be out of playoff contention.

Before we get into those scenarios, here’s what the NFC Playoff pictures look like heading into Week 17.

Division leader:

  1. Eagles: 13-2 — qualified for playoffs
  2. Vikings: 12-3 — won NFC North

  3. 49ers: 11-4 — won the NFC West

  4. Buccaneer: 7-8

Wild Card Race (Top 3 advance)

  1. Cowboys: 11-4 — qualified for playoffs
  2. Giants: 8-6-1
  3. Commander: 7-7-1

  4. Seahawks: 7-8

  5. Lions: 7-8

  6. Packer: 7-8

  7. Panthers: 6-9
  8. Saints: 6-9

The Lions remain just half a game out of the playoff spot, but have only two weeks to make up. The Lions of the Week have two playoff elimination scenarios.

The Lions are out of playoff contention this week if:

  • Lions lose to Bears
  • Commanders beat the Browns

If the Lions go down 7-9, then mathematically they can’t catch the 8-6-1 Giants or (theoretically) 8-7-1 Commanders. game over.

Some believe that if the Lions lose and the Seahawks win, Seattle will be one game (8-8) ahead of the Lions (7-9) and become a 1-1 tiebreaker, so Detroit will be eliminated. maybe. However, the Lions, Seahawks, and either the Panthers or the Saints (or the Buccaneers) all remain unlikely to finish with his 8-9 record. Also, for 3-way (or 4-way) ties between the Lions, Seahawks and other teams, a separate set of tie-breaks will be required. A one-on-one match only matters if one team beats his two other teams (or if he loses two to both teams where one team was involved in a draw). increase.

Therefore, for the Lions to be eliminated with a Seahawks win, they would need to be in a three-way tie at 8-9, which is no longer possible.Even if the Panthers and Saints both lost, each team would no longer have a chance of him going 8-9, but the Lions, Seahawks and Commander If Washington loses a game and draws another (7-8-2 is basically the same as 8-9). Therefore, the Lions cannot be eliminated unless the Commanders win this week.

If Detroit simply beats the Bears at home on Sunday (or the Commanders fail), they have a big game on the horizon against the Green Bay Packers for a playoff spot in the final week of the season. Similarly, the Packers could be out of playoff contention this week if they lose to the Vikings and win either the Commanders or the Lions.