Happy New Year! That’s right, folks, it is January 1st and the Detroit Lions are still in the NFL playoff hunt! That means another Detroit Lions Rooting Guide is needed! On Sunday afternoon, the Lions will host the Chicago Bears in what will be the final home game at Ford Field for the 2022 season. With a win, the Lions will keep their playoff hopes alive, but, with some help from a couple of teams around the league, the Lions could actually control their own destiny heading into their Week 18 matchup at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers.
Detroit Lions Rooting Guide for Week 17
Obviously, it all begins with the Lions beating the Bears at Ford Field to move to 8-8 on the season.
That being said, even if the Lions win out to finish at 9-8, they will still need some help along the way.
Here are the three teams Lions fans should be rooting hard for in Week 17.
Cleveland Browns (6-9) over Washingon Commanders (7-7-1) – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
New York Jets (7-8) over Seattle Seahawks (7-8) – 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX)
Folks, it’s very simple. If the Lions win and BOTH the Commanders AND Seahawks lose, the Lions would control their own destiny heading into their Week 18 matchup against the Packers.
Minnesota Vikings (12-3) over Green Bay Packers (7-8) – 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)
If the Lions win and the Packers lost, the Packers would be eliminated from playoff contention, and they would not have anything to play for when they host the Lions in Week 18 (other than playing spoiler).
So, if you are a fan of the Lions, you should be rooting for the Browns, Jets, and Vikings today. If those three teams win, along with the Lions winning, the Lions’ playoff chances, according to FiveThirtyEight, would increase to 63%.
