Detroit Lions Week 12 Rooting Guide: A Thanksgiving Dinner Helping of Football!

Detroit Lions Week 12 Rooting Guide: A Thanksgiving Dinner Helping of Football!

Entering Week 12 of the 2023 NFL regular season, the Detroit Lions stand out with an impressive 8-2 record, topping the NFC North. A key highlight is their Thanksgiving Day clash at Ford Field against the Green Bay Packers, drawing the attention of fans far and wide. However, the significance of this week extends beyond just one game.

Lions enthusiasts are keenly observing the broader NFL landscape, recognizing that outcomes of other matches could heavily influence Detroit’s playoff prospects. To navigate this crucial week, fans can turn to the Detroit Lions Week 12 Rooting Guide for strategic insights on which teams to cheer for or against for optimal playoff positioning.

Who Detroit Lions Fans Should Root For?

Root for AFC over NFC

First of all, the obvious. Lions fans should be rooting for every AFC team to beat every NFC team in those matchups. In Week 12, root for the Colts (AFC) to beat the Buccaneers (NFC), the Patriots (AFC) over the Giants (NFC), the Titans (AFC) over the Panthers (NFC), and the Bills (AFC) over the Eagles (NFC) because the Lions only have to worry about staying ahead of/passing NFC teams in the overall standings. Obviously, some of these games are weighted MUCH HEAVIER than others.

Root for Any Team over the NFC North

Make sure that you are always rooting for any team that is playing a team from the NFC North not named the Detroit Lions. Note: The Lions play the Packers and the Bears play the Vikings this week, so this rule does not apply this week. With that being said, root for the Bears over the Vikings because the Vikings currently are the biggest threat to the Lions in the NFC North.

Other Teams to Root For

At this point, the Lions are looking good in the NFC North, but we also have to be rooting for them to get as high of a seed as possible in the NFC. Because of that, we should be rooting for NFC teams with lesser records over NFC teams with better records.

So, with that being said, root for the Commanders over the Cowboys, the Seahawks over the 49ers, the Falcons over the Saints, and the Cardinals over the Rams.

Summary

Here is a quick list of who you should root for this week if you are a fan of the Detroit Lions:

1. Root for Indianapolis Colts over Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A Colts win helps the Lions by weakening an NFC team’s standing.
2. Root for New England Patriots over New York Giants: Patriots’ victory is beneficial as it potentially lowers the Giants’ NFC rank.
3. Root for Tennessee Titans over Carolina Panthers: Titans winning aids the Lions by dropping an NFC competitor in the standings.
4. Root for Buffalo Bills over Philadelphia Eagles: A Bills win helps by potentially reducing an NFC rival’s lead over the Lions.
5. Root for Chicago Bears over Minnesota Vikings: As the Vikings are direct NFC North competitors, a Bears win would favor the Lions’ divisional position.
6. Root for Washington Commanders over Dallas Cowboys: Commanders’ victory would be advantageous by potentially hindering a higher-ranked NFC team.
7. Root for Seattle Seahawks over San Francisco 49ers: A Seahawks win helps by weakening a strong NFC contender’s position.
8. Root for Atlanta Falcons over New Orleans Saints: Falcons winning can assist by diminishing the Saints’ NFC standing.
9. Root for Arizona Cardinals over Los Angeles Rams: Cardinals’ success is beneficial as it could lower the Rams’ rank in the NFC.