When the 2019 regular season started the hope was that by the time Week 16 rolled around, the Detroit Lions would still be in contention for the NFC North title…or at least a Wild Card berth.
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Unfortunately, that is not the case as just about everything that could go wrong has gone wrong, including losing Matthew Stafford to a broken back.
Though the Lions have been eliminated from playoff contention for a month or so, it does not mean Week 16 is meaningless as 2020 NFL Draft slots are up for grabs.
Heading into the week, the Lions hold the No. 5 pick with an opportunity to move up if things fall the right way for them.
That being said, there are a trio of crucial Week 16 games Lions fans absolutely must be paying attention to if you are hoping for the team to move up in the draft order.
Those games are as follows.
Detroit Lions (3-10-1) @ Denver Broncos
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This one is obvious. If you are rooting for a better draft pick in 2020, you should absolutely be rooting for the Lions to lose their final two games of the season. That begins on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
Root for the Broncos
New York Giants (3-11) @ Washington Redskins (3-11)
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As we speak, both the Giants and Redskins have a worse record than the Lions which means that as long as the Lions lose to the Broncos, they will move up at least one spot this week (barring a tie between N.Y. and Washington)
That being said, in Week 17, the Redskins will be at Dallas and the Giants will be at home vs. Philadelphia. Though both the Redskins and Giants will be underdogs in those games, the Giants have a better chance to steal a win.
Because of that, Lions fans should be rooting for Washington to beat the New York Giants on Sunday.
Root for the Redskins
Cincinnati Bengals (1-13) @ Miami Dolphins (3-11)
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The Lions cannot catch the Bengals for the No. 1 pick, but they absolutely can catch the Dolphins which makes this one a no-brainer.
Root for the Dolphins
