Jahmyr Gibbs is making it clear that the Detroit Lions must flip the switch now if they want their season to extend beyond Week 18 — beginning with Thursday’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

After an almost storybook 2024 campaign in which Detroit posted 15 wins and secured the NFC’s top seed, the 2025 season has been far less smooth. Their Week 13 defeat — a 31–24 loss to the Green Bay Packers — dropped them to 7–5, pushing them down to third place in the NFC North behind both Chicago and Green Bay.

That setback has Detroit currently sitting outside the playoff picture, and with the Packers holding a crucial head-to-head advantage, the path back into contention becomes even more challenging. Still, with five regular-season games remaining, the Lions aren’t out of the running — but they know their margin for error is razor-thin.

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs says the team must treat every remaining matchup like a postseason contest if they want to challenge for the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl appearance.

“We’ve got to approach these next five games like they’re playoff games,” Gibbs said, pointing to Thursday’s battle with Dallas as the first of those high-stakes tests.

Detroit’s urgency is understandable. The Bears and Packers face each other next week, guaranteeing one will take a loss — opening a window for the Lions if they handle their own business. A perfect finish from Detroit would put enormous pressure on the rest of the conference, and it’s difficult to envision them being left out if they win out.

But Gibbs emphasized the mindset needed: focus on one game at a time, and treat each remaining week like an elimination scenario.