The Detroit Lions, who appeared worn out and exposed, particularly defensively, against the San Francisco 49ers last week, were anything but in Sunday’s crucial game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. In a 31-9 thumping victory that guaranteed the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, the Lions utterly crushed one of the NFL’s most effective offences, keeping Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson, and the Vikings out of the end zone.
Minnesota will thus become the first NFL team with 14 wins to qualify as a wild-card team for the playoffs. Next Monday at SoFi Stadium, the No. 5 seed Vikings (14-3) will take on the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Rams (7 p.m. CST, ESPN).
Minnesota’s chances of making the playoffs are greatly increased by their defeat on Sunday night. The Vikings would need several first-round upsets to avoid a divisional round matchup against either Detroit or the second-seeded Philadelphia Eagles on the road if they can defeat Sean McVay and a formidable Rams squad on Wild-Card Weekend — the Rams defeated Minnesota 30–20 on Thursday Night Football in Week 8. Due to their position as the top seed, Detroit will host the divisional round’s bottom seed. Therefore, before the NFC Championship Game, the Lions are unable to draw Philadelphia.
When the other two NFC playoff games begin on Sunday night, there will be a number of possible outcomes because Minnesota will play in the first round’s last game:
Scenario No. 1: Chalk
Minnesota may compete for a repeat with Detroit on Monday night if the home teams prevail. The Vikings would guarantee a return trip to Detroit for the divisional round, where the Eagles would play Tampa Bay, if No. 2 Philadelphia defeated the 7th-seeded Green Bay Packers and the No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the 6th-seeded Washington Commanders.
Scenario No. 2: Upsets
If either Washington or Green Bay prevails on Sunday night, Minnesota’s course is altered. The Packers will automatically draw the Lions as the seventh seed if Green Bay defeats Philadelphia. Minnesota would be able to skip both Detroit and Philadelphia in the divisional round as a result. A Minnesota victory would earn a trip to Raymond James Stadium to play Tampa Bay if the Packers defeated Philadelphia and the Bucs defeated Washington. Minnesota would travel to Philadelphia and Washington would travel to Detroit if the Eagles defeated Green Bay but Washington defeated Tampa Bay on the road.
Scenario No. 3: Upheaval
On Saturday, Vikings supporters should be rooting for both NFC road teams to triumph. The Vikings would be playing Los Angeles for the right to host a divisional round game at U.S. Bank Stadium if the NFC bracket was completely upended, with Green Bay defeating Philadelphia and Washington defeating Tampa Bay. In this more unlikely (but still entirely plausible) scenario, Detroit would host Green Bay and Minnesota would host Washington.