This is it! The final week of the regular season for the NFL. The name of the game is super simple here folks, win and you're in; if you're the Detroit Lions. The victory over the Green Bay Packers would also mean that the Lions would take home the division crown for the first time since 1993. There are only a handful of games that hold any merit to the Detroit Lions playoff chances, so let's take a look.
New Orleans Saints over Atlanta Falcons – 4:25 p.m. – FOX
The Saints are eliminated from playoff contention, therefore an Atlanta Falcons loss is a must to help Detroit in the playoff seeding battle, should the Lions pull off the victory against the Packers. The Saints defense will have their hands full with the #1 offense in the NFL, but these NFC South match-ups have been nothing short of tough the entire season.
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New York Giants over Washington Redskins – 4:25 p.m. – FOX
This game could end up being absolutely HUGE for Lions fans. If the Redskins lose to the Giants, the Lions clinch a playoff spot, regardless of what happens against the Packers on Sunday Night Football. If the Redskins win, the Lions will be forced to either tie or beat Green Bay to get in. The goal is obviously to beat the Packers for the division championship, but that game will not take place until after the Redskins vs. Giants is in the books.
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San Francisco 49ers over Seattle Seahawks – 4:25 p.m. – FOX
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have a better shot of making the playoffs with their crazy scenario than the 49ers do of defeating the Seattle Seahawks, nonetheless, we want a Niners victory to again, help the seeding.
It all boils down to the Lions having to win, at the end of the day. Stafford needs to be better than Rodgers, Caldwell needs to coach better than McCarthy, and the Detroit Lions most importantly will need to play 4 full quarters of football. They can't possibly play as poorly as they did in Dallas, especially on the national stage again.
