By Moses Joshua 
Detroit’s playoff picture sharpens after a statement win over Dallas and a pivotal shake-up inside the NFC North.
A Statement Win That Changed the Mood in Detroit
No matter what unfolded across the rest of the NFL landscape on Sunday, December 7, the Detroit Lions entered the day knowing one thing for sure: they had already done their part.
Just three nights earlier, under the bright lights of Thursday Night Football, Detroit delivered one of its most convincing performances of the season, dismantling the Dallas Cowboys 44–30. The win pushed the Lions to 8–5 and silenced weeks of doubt about whether this team still had enough firepower to stay in the playoff race.
For Dallas, the loss was damaging. For Detroit, it was defining.
That victory didn’t just boost morale in the locker room—it stabilized the Lions’ postseason outlook. Heading into Sunday’s slate, their playoff probability sat at 54 percent, a meaningful jump for a team that had been hanging on the edge for weeks.
Packers Over Bears Shifts the NFC North Balance
While Detroit handled business on its own stage, the biggest ripple effect for the Lions came from a divisional showdown on Sunday: the Chicago Bears versus the Green Bay Packers.
With both teams sitting above Detroit in the NFC North standings, the outcome carried major implications. Green Bay emerged with a 28–21 victory, tightening the race and quietly pulling the Lions closer to the heart of the division fight.
After that result:
– Green Bay surged to a 94% playoff probability
– Chicago slid to 64%
– Detroit held steady at 54%, now just one game behind the Bears
That one-game gap dramatically increases the importance of Detroit’s looming Week 18 clash with Chicago. Suddenly, that matchup isn’t just meaningful—it could be season-defining.
And oddly enough, Lions fans may find themselves rooting for a bitter rival over the next two weeks. Since the Bears and Packers face each other again soon, Detroit’s cleanest path forward may require one of those teams to lose twice. After Green Bay’s latest win, that means hoping the Packers keep winning—for now.
Uncomfortable? Absolutely. Strategic? Also yes.
A Brutal Test Awaits in Los Angeles
The Lions won’t have the luxury of scoreboard-watching for long. On Sunday, December 14, they head west for one of their most difficult remaining tests: a matchup against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.
It’s the type of game that could either validate Detroit’s late-season surge or stall it completely.
A win over the Rams would be massive—not just emotionally, but mathematically. It would elevate Detroit’s odds, apply pressure to Chicago, and turn the final stretch of the season into a true playoff sprint. A loss, however, would shrink the margin for error to nearly nothing.
Every snap from here on out matters.
How the Rest of the NFC Is Shaping the Race
Elsewhere in the division, the Minnesota Vikings delivered a dominant 31–0 win over the Washington Commanders. Despite the blowout, Minnesota remains all but eliminated from postseason contention at 5–8, with less than a one-percent chance to qualify.
Across the broader NFC landscape, several teams are already close to locking in their spots. The New England Patriots and Denver Broncos both carry better than 99-percent odds of reaching the postseason, while the Seattle Seahawks trail just behind at 97 percent. The Jacksonville Jaguars also remain firmly in the mix.
Meanwhile, the list of teams already drifting out of the playoff picture continues to grow. The Jets, Raiders, Saints, Browns, Falcons, Titans, Cardinals, Giants, and Commanders are all effectively out of the race.
The field is narrowing. The pressure is rising.
Detroit’s Destiny Is Finally Back in Its Own Hands
The Lions don’t need miracles anymore. They need execution.
With four games remaining, Detroit controls far more of its playoff fate than it did just two weeks ago. The win over Dallas proved this team still has bite. The Packers’ victory over the Bears reopened the door inside the division. And the remaining schedule offers both opportunity and danger in equal measure.
The margin for error is thin. The stakes are enormous. But for the first time in weeks, the Lions aren’t just chasing shadows—they’re shaping the race.
And in December football, that’s exactly where you want to be.