The Lions, against all odds, have somehow played their way into the playoff conversation in the woeful NFC.
After starting the year 1-6, Dan Campbell’s Cardiac Cats have won four of their last five games to get to 5-7 on the year, which has them as the second team out of the NFC playoff picture and two games back of the Commanders for the seventh seed in the conference.
The Lions’ recent success started with nail-biting wins over the Packers and Bears, but they’ve won decisively against the Giants and, most recently, the Jaguars (with a close loss to the Bills breaking up the latter two wins).
Calling the Lions dominant in their 40-14 win over the Jaguars would be an understatement. They scored on their first eight possessions of the game, with their only non-scoring drive being No. 9 when they kneeled twice to run out the clock. Jared Goff went 31 for 41 for 340 yards, his fourth 300-yard game with the Lions. D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams both had rushing touchdowns as well.
What’s important for the Lions, however, is that everything is clicking at the right time. Jameson Williams didn’t have a catch in his NFL debut, but his return marks another target for Goff alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown. But even more impressive has been the Lions’ defense, which held an opponent under 20 points for the third time in five games.
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Amid all of this, however, the question that arises is simple: What will it take for the Lions to make the postseason? The Sporting News explores that path, and what their chances ultimately are.
How can the Detroit Lions make the playoffs?
At 5-7, the Lions do not have control over their path. They need some help. The good news for them, however, is that entering this week the five-six-seven spots were all held by the NFC East, which means it could well cannibalize itself down the stretch of the season.
Here’s a look at the NFC standings through the early Sunday games.
| Seed | Team | Record |
| 1 | Philadelphia Eagles | 11-1 |
| 2 | Minnesota Vikings | 10-2 |
| 3 | San Francisco 49ers | 8-4 |
| 4 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5-6 |
| 5 | Dallas Cowboys | 8-3 |
| 6 | New York Giants | 7-4-1 |
| 7 | Seattle Seahawks | 7-5 |
| 8 | Washington Commanders | 7-5-1 |
| 9 | Detroit Lions | 5-7 |
| 10 | Atlanta Falcons | 5-8 |
| 11 | Green Bay Packers | 5-8 |
| 12 | Arizona Cardinals | 4-8 |
| 13 | Carolina Panthers | 4-8 |
| 14 | New Orleans Saints | 4-8 |
| 15 | Los Angeles Rams | 3-9 |
| 16 | Chicago Bears | 3-10 |
The first thing that becomes clear: The Lions are no longer playing for C.J. Stroud or Bryce Young. Their focus has shifted in a conference that has proven to be weak throughout the season. That plus the addition of the No. 7 seed has created a scenario in which playing .500 ball could get a team into the playoffs.
The Lions’ best bet for the postseason is for either the Seahawks or Giants to drop out, but they also need the Commanders to be kept out of the No. 7 seed. While “Any Given Sunday” applies, here’s how each of those teams’ schedules shape up down the stretch.
NFC wild card contenders’ schedules
Lions’ remaining opponents
| Team | Record |
| Minnesota Vikings | 10-2 |
| New York Jets | 7-5 |
| Carolina Panthers | 4-8 |
| Chicago Bears | 3-10 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5-8 |
Seahawks’ remaining opponents
| Team | Record |
| Carolina Panthers | 4-8 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 8-4 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 10-2 |
| New York Jets | 7-5 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 3-9 |
Commanders’ remaining opponents
| Team | Record |
| New York Giants | 7-4-1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 8-4 |
| Cleveland Browns | 5-7 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 8-3 |
Giants’ remaining opponents
| Team | Record |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 11-1 |
| Washington Commanders | 7-5-1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 10-2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 4-7-1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 11-1 |
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It’s hard to argue against the Giants having the most difficult remaining path, as three of their games are against teams with double-digit wins. The Giants and Commanders tying Sunday did the Lions no favors, but they’ll run it back in two weeks. The Seahawks, meanwhile, have a fairly favorable path with the game against the Chiefs being their toughest remaining game on paper.
The Lions, meanwhile, have two tough games coming up against the Vikings and the surprising Jets. After that, they close out the year with three straight games against sub-.500 teams, although the last two will be divisional rivals in the Bears and Packers.
With that in mind, the Lions have a decent chance to make the postseason with the way the schedule shakes out, particularly with the Giants and Commanders playing each other again. But they have to take care of business themselves. To realistically take things in their hands, they may have to go 4-1 down the stretch to get to 9-8 on the season.
That’s a tall order, but the Lions have already won four of their last five. If they manage to take eight of their last 10, they’ll have started to establish an identity. But regardless, this is not a position they expected to be early in the year. That alone is a sign they’re taking a step in the right direction under Campbell and, frankly, Goff. Even if the playoffs are a longshot, there’s clearly cause for optimism in Detroit as 2022 winds down.
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