By Moses Joshua 
Detroit star urges team to flip the postseason switch early as hopes hang in the balance
The Detroit Lions are staring down the final stretch of the regular season with urgency bordering on desperation. After a magical 2024 campaign that delivered 15 wins and the NFC’s top seed, Detroit’s follow-up season has been anything but smooth. A frustrating 31-24 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 13 dropped the Lions to 7-5 and into third place in the NFC North — and, for now, out of the playoff picture entirely.
With five games left, the path forward is narrow. And running back Jahmyr Gibbs is making sure his teammates feel that reality.
“We need to treat it like playoff games,”
Gibbs said, signaling that Detroit’s postseason push must start now.
A Season on the Brink
The Lions’ stumble into December has created a steep climb. Falling behind both Chicago and Green Bay in the standings makes each remaining matchup essential, and losing a tiebreaker to the Packers adds even more pressure. Detroit now needs to leapfrog Green Bay while taking care of its own business — a task that leaves no room for missteps.
Still, not all hope is lost. With Chicago and Green Bay set to clash next Sunday, at least one rival is guaranteed to take a hit in the standings. If the Lions can respond with a strong finish, the postseason remains well within reach. But Gibbs’ message is clear: surviving this gauntlet requires a “one game at a time” mentality and a readiness to embrace playoff-level intensity before January even arrives.
Cowboys Clash Becomes a Defining Moment
The urgency is amplified by the opponent waiting on Thursday night: the surging Dallas Cowboys. Dallas has reeled off three straight victories, highlighted by a 31-28 thriller over the Kansas City Chiefs that re-energized their own faint postseason hopes. With Dak Prescott heating up and the Cowboys playing their best football of the season, Detroit is in for a heavyweight fight.
The Lions aren’t the only ones entering with desperation — and that makes this matchup a potentially season-defining test.
Detroit’s mission is simple but daunting: win out, or watch playoff aspirations slip away. Gibbs knows what’s at stake, and by labeling the upcoming stretch as “playoff games,” he’s setting the tone for a team that must rediscover its 2024 fire.
The Road Ahead
If Detroit can recapture its edge and stack wins, the postseason—and perhaps a shot at shedding the franchise’s long-standing Super Bowl drought—remains within reach. But the margin for error has evaporated. Every snap counts, every drive matters, and every opponent must be treated as a playoff threat.
Gibbs has sounded the alarm. Now it’s up to the Lions to answer it, starting with Thursday’s critical clash against the Cowboys.