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Lions Can Play the Role of Spoiler for Ben Johnson and Chicago
The Detroit Lions enter Sunday’s home matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers with no margin for error.
With Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers coming to town on December 21, Detroit knows exactly what’s at stake. Any loss from here on out would effectively end the Lions’ playoff hopes, making every remaining game a must-win situation.
While Detroit’s primary focus is surviving another week, a victory on Sunday would also carry some extra satisfaction. A Lions win could complicate matters for former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and one of Detroit’s biggest rivals, the Chicago Bears.
Johnson, who previously helped guide Detroit’s offense, took over as head coach in Chicago last season and has quickly turned the Bears into a contender.
Chicago has been one of the NFC’s strongest teams this year, sitting atop the NFC North with a 10–4 record. Under Johnson’s leadership, the Bears didn’t need much time to find their rhythm. Entering Week 16, Chicago holds a 79% chance of reaching the playoffs, while Detroit’s odds sit much lower at 35%, according to league projections.
Even so, Detroit still controls a key piece of the playoff puzzle. Despite the Lions not playing the Bears directly this weekend, their result against Pittsburgh could determine whether Chicago officially clinches a postseason spot.
The math is simple, even if the implications are messy. If the Bears defeat the Green Bay Packers on Saturday and the Lions either lose or tie against the Steelers the following day, Chicago locks up a playoff berth. The same outcome applies if Chicago ties Green Bay and Detroit fails to win.
That means Detroit can delay the Bears’ celebration by taking care of business on Sunday. A Lions victory alone would prevent Chicago from clinching in Week 16.
A Three-Team NFC North Standoff
The ripple effects don’t stop with the Bears. Detroit also has the ability to disrupt Green Bay’s playoff plans. The Packers can clinch a postseason spot this weekend with a win paired with a Lions loss or tie, or with a tie combined with a Detroit loss.
If the Lions manage to beat Pittsburgh, they simultaneously keep their own postseason hopes alive and block both Chicago and Green Bay from securing playoff spots this week. For Lions fans, that’s plenty of motivation.
The stakes couldn’t be much higher. A Detroit win would boost their playoff chances to roughly 45%. A loss, however, would drop those odds to about 14%, effectively closing the door on their season. As the playoff race tightens, this game looms as one of the most consequential moments of Detroit’s year.
