The date and time for the Detroit Lions’ final game of the season has officially been announced, and while the matchup carries divisional familiarity, it sadly won’t carry postseason meaning.
After a late-season collapse that saw the Lions fall out of playoff contention, Week 18 now represents nothing more than a chance to end a disappointing year on a positive note. Detroit enters the finale on a three-game losing streak, a brutal stretch that erased what once looked like a promising path toward the playoffs. Instead of fighting for a spot in the postseason, the Lions will simply try to avoid finishing the year on a sour note.
Detroit will face NFC North rival and division champion Chicago Bears on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET, with the game airing on Fox. While a 1:00 p.m. kickoff might have been preferable for some fans, the late-afternoon slot at least avoids another primetime appearance during a frustrating stretch of football.
What makes the ending sting even more is how close the Lions were to something bigger. Had Detroit defeated the Minnesota Vikings on Christmas Day, the team would have entered Week 18 with a legitimate chance to claim the seventh seed in the NFC, especially after the Green Bay Packers lost to the Baltimore Ravens. Even more painful, wins against both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Vikings would have put the Lions in position to play for the NFC North title, as Green Bay and Chicago each dropped key games during that span.
Instead, missed opportunities and inconsistent performances derailed the season when it mattered most. Now, Week 18 is about pride, evaluation, and setting the tone heading into a critical offseason.
The stakes may be gone, but the Lions still have one final chance to give their fans something to cheer about. Kickoff is set for Sunday at 4:25 p.m. — and then, mercifully, the season will come to an end.
