By Moses Joshua 
Detroit’s setback against the Rams complicates the playoff picture, but help from elsewhere keeps hope alive.
For the Detroit Lions—and, really, every team grinding through December—this is the point in the season where victories matter, but so does the chaos unfolding across the rest of the league. Before taking the field on Sunday, December 14, against the Los Angeles Rams, Detroit was clinging to third place in the NFC North, just one game behind the Chicago Bears and still within striking distance of the Green Bay Packers.
By the time the final whistle blew at SoFi Stadium, that margin for error had narrowed considerably. The Lions fell to Matthew Stafford and the Rams in a 41–34 shootout, a loss that didn’t just sting emotionally but reshaped Detroit’s postseason outlook.
A Loss That Changed the Math
The stakes were clear heading into Week 15. A win over Los Angeles would have pushed Detroit’s playoff odds to 74%, according to NFL research. Instead, the defeat dropped those chances to roughly 41%, a number that may fluctuate slightly once the rest of the week’s games are finalized, but one that firmly places the Lions in must-win territory.
The Rams, already sitting comfortably at a 97% chance to reach the postseason before kickoff, played like a team with confidence—and Detroit paid the price. Now, the path forward is unforgiving. For the Lions, there’s no room left for missteps.
The NFC North Domino Effect
Detroit’s fate was never tied solely to its own result. The broader NFC North picture mattered just as much.
Chicago handled its business exactly as expected, dismantling the Cleveland Browns 31–3 to improve to 10–4 ahead of a pivotal Week 16 matchup with Green Bay. The Packers, meanwhile, were involved in the kind of tight, physical contest many anticipated—but they came out on the wrong end, falling 34–26 to the Denver Broncos.
Those results quietly altered the division’s chemistry, even if they didn’t immediately solve Detroit’s problems.
The Silver Lining in the Standings
This is where the unexpected bright spot emerges. While the Lions lost, Green Bay did too—and that matters. The Packers’ stumble against Denver helped Detroit, even though Green Bay still owns the tiebreaker.
It’s a small reprieve, but a meaningful one. Last weekend, Chicago fell to Green Bay. This week, Green Bay fell again. The door, while barely cracked, hasn’t slammed shut on Detroit’s season.
The reality, though, is harsh. The Lions now have to win out. Every remaining game carries postseason weight, and the margin for error is gone.
A Season Hanging in the Balance
There’s no sugarcoating the scenario. Detroit’s remaining schedule demands perfection, and help from others. A win over the Steelers would be a start. A Packers victory over the Bears would help. So would a Rams win against the Seahawks and an Indianapolis upset of San Francisco.
It’s messy. It’s uncomfortable. And it’s exactly where December football tends to leave teams on the fringe.
The most painful possibility looms at the end: a final meeting with Chicago that could decide everything on January 4, 2026. It’s the kind of storyline that either defines a season—or ends it.
For now, the Lions’ playoff hopes are on life support. But they’re still breathing. And if there’s one thing Detroit has shown time and again, it’s that grit has a way of keeping the season alive just a little longer.