The NFC North has turned into one of the toughest divisions in the NFL this season, and the 2025–26 schedules for its teams rank among the league’s most challenging. So while the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving loss to the Green Bay Packers dropped them to 7–5 and dealt an obvious blow, other results around the conference have also made their postseason path far more complicated.
For long-suffering Lions fans, the journey has already felt like a lifetime. Detroit has yet to make it to the league’s final game in franchise history. When the team reached the NFC Championship in the 2023–24 campaign, it felt like destiny — until the Lions collapsed against the San Francisco 49ers, losing 34–31 after surrendering a 17-point halftime lead.
Many still remember some of Dan Campbell’s fourth-down decisions in that game, including the choice to skip a potential game-tying field goal late in the fourth quarter. While that is ancient history, the same aggressive tendencies have resurfaced this season, resulting in several costly fourth-down failures.
And now, reality is setting in: the Lions’ chances of making another deep postseason run are slipping away — and the outlook just got even worse.
Detroit now sits at 7–5, firmly in third place behind the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, based on NFL standings. Following the Thanksgiving loss, their playoff chances plummeted to roughly 32%, a sharp decline from the 73% projection just days earlier, per SI analytics.
Chicago’s victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on November 28 delivered another hit to Detroit’s hopes. With the Bears strengthening their grip on first place, the Lions face an even narrower route to a wild-card spot — made worse by their own loss to Green Bay.
In short: the Bears’ win plus the Lions’ loss delivered a double setback. Detroit may have to win every remaining game and hope for some outside help — including Chicago stumbling — just to stay alive in the playoff race.
More Thanksgiving Heartbreak for Detroit
Historically, Thanksgiving hasn’t been kind to the Lions, and the latest defeat continues an ugly trend. Detroit is 1–8 in its last nine Thanksgiving Day games, according to ESPN.
After the loss to the Packers, Campbell tried to keep spirits up.
“It’s frustrating, no doubt,” he said. “But we still have a lot to be thankful for.”
Still, optimism won’t change the math: Detroit’s postseason dreams have taken a steep nosedive. If the Lions want any shot at playing meaningful January football, they’ll need to rally — and do it immediately.
