The Detroit Lions (3-3) are back to action after a bye week that allowed them to get rest, patch up a few injuries, and develop a strong game plan for the next 10 games. But as we know, nothing ever comes easy for the Lions and they will likely need some help from other teams around the league if they want to get into the NFL Playoffs.
So, in case you are not sure about which teams to root for this week, we have you covered.
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Ignore the AFC vs. AFC Matchups
Of course, when it comes to the Lions making the playoffs or not making the playoffs, AFC vs. AFC matchups play absolutely zero roles. So, feel free to ignore the following games this week.
Miami 0 – Baltimore 40 (already played)
Indianapolis @ Cincinnati
Oakland @ Buffalo
Los Angeles Chargers @ New England
Denver @ Kansas City
AFC over NFC, every time
If the Lions can find a way to win the NFC North, they will automatically clinch a home playoff game. That being said, if they come up just short in the North, they will earn a Wild Card spot in the NFC, which means having a better record than the other NFC teams that did not win their division. So, make sure to root for the AFC over the NFC today, including these matchups.
New York Jets over Atlanta
Houston over Seattle
Cleveland over Minnesota
Some NFC vs. NFC games are not so obvious
Like we said above, if the Lions fail to win the NFC North, they will rely on having a better record than the other NFC teams to get a Wild Card spot. So, here are the NFC vs. NFC games that you should pay close attention to, along with who you should be rooting for.
San Francisco over Philadelphia – A win right now would halt the Eagles in their tracks as arguably the best team in the NFL. It’ll also add a much-needed loss to their losses column over the entire NFC and the Lions.
Tampa Bay over Carolina – It’s time for Winston to rack up a big win against Cam Newton and the Panthers. This puts Carolina in position to be one of the middling teams if they fall to .500. It’ll help the Lions if we could be one game over .500 in the standings as well.
Chicago over New Orleans – Again, let’s assume the Bears aren’t a threat to the Lions in the NFC North. They’ll just serve as a team that can derail others from playoffs hopes and positioning.
Washington over Dallas – Doesn’t really matter because they’re records are identical and one will come out with a win. Maybe if we pray to the football gods, they’ll deliver us a tie so a Lions win would allow us to sit above them both in the standings.
Detroit over Pittsburgh – We need to hand the Steelers a loss in any way possible. Defense, Offense, it doesn’t matter. We just need to get it done. This will be a big win for us and give us momentum going forward. Our schedule isn’t really bad at all.
