The Detroit Lions may be officially eliminated from playoff contention, but their regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears is far from meaningless. In fact, Week 18 offers Detroit a unique—and admittedly petty—opportunity to make a statement against their division rival.
If the Lions win, they would complete a season sweep of the NFC North–champion Bears.

But there’s an added layer that makes the matchup even more entertaining: Detroit has a chance to prevent Chicago from reaching a milestone the franchise has never achieved.

Despite more than a century in the NFL, the Bears have never produced a quarterback who passed for 4,000 yards in a single season. Rookie signal-caller Caleb Williams enters the final week with 3,730 yards through the air, putting him within striking distance of history.

For Chicago to finally break that long-standing barrier, Williams would need at least 270 passing yards on Sunday. If Detroit keeps him below that mark, the Bears’ drought will continue for at least another year.
There’s reason to believe the Lions can pull it off.

Detroit Has Done It Before
When the two teams faced off earlier this season, Detroit’s defense successfully limited Williams, holding him to just 207 passing yards in a Lions victory. That performance showed the blueprint for slowing Chicago’s offense.

Williams has surpassed the 269-yard mark only four times all year. One of those outings came last week, when he threw for 330 yards in an overtime loss to San Francisco, proving he’s capable of piling up yards when game flow allows.

Still, if Detroit sticks to its assignments and applies the same discipline it showed in the first meeting, stopping Williams short of history is very much in play.
Why the Finale Still Means Something
The outcome won’t affect playoff seeding or division standings. Detroit’s postseason fate is already sealed.

But pride is still on the line.
A chance to defeat the division champions twice
An opportunity to finish the season with momentum
A showcase for players competing for future roles
And, perhaps most satisfying of all, denying a rival a once-in-a-century achievement
Keeping the Bears from finally producing a 4,000-yard passer may not show up in the standings, but it would be a memorable footnote—and exactly the kind of motivation a Dan Campbell–coached team can embrace.