How the Detroit Lions can Make the 2025-26 NFL Playoffs

How the Detroit Lions can Make the 2025-26 NFL Playoffs

people that have convinced themselves the Lions are out of it. Hell, there’s some people that have convinced themselves that the windows close. Okay? I’m not going to sit here today and try to talk you off of any ledge. It’s it’s not now. Now is not the time. Okay? But as we look at this NFC playoff picture right now, and obviously we know about the divisional winners, okay, the fifth seed is Seattle at 10 and three. They’re playing good. Okay. Do you want to look at their remaining schedule? Sure. They have the Colts. That’s a win. I think your girl, I’m sorry. It’s over. It was a cute story. Well, poor Danny. Danny. Poor Danny. Blew out as Achilles. Um, they host the Rams. Loss. They’re at the Panthers. That might be a sneaky game. Loss. Okay. And then they’re at the Niners. They’re going to finish the season losing seven in a row. They’ve lost four in a row. They could lose eight in a row. Eight in a row. So, the Seahawks right now, we had a win against the Colts, we had a win against the Colts, and then you had loss against the Rams at home, loss at the Panthers, and loss at the NerS. Is that fair? That makes that makes the Seahawks 11 and six. Maybe they get one more in there, right? I hope they beat Frisco. San Francisco is going to be the pain in the ass. I That’s where I’m getting at. Yep. They don’t really belong. They really don’t. It’s the last place schedule, dude. Yeah, it is. I’m sorry. It’s real. I don’t care what anybody says. It’s It’s I don’t think they were. Were they last? Yeah, they were. Were they Were they last? I know they had the less than schedule. All right, here’s their schedule the rest of the way. The Titans at Indie. What What team is this now? NerS. Got it. The Titans at Indie, the Bears come to Frisco, and then they host the Seahawks. Two and two. All right. Yeah. The Ner the Niners finished six and 11 last year and were last place in the NFC West. Were they really? Yep. Even behind the Cards. Cards were eight and nine. Jeez O. Last place schedule is real. Wow. Ask the Bears. So, if we’re doing our if we’re doing our math correctly, if we’re doing our math correctly, they could be 11 and six as well. All right. Yeah. Then we’ve got the Bears. And I know we’ve talked much about this. The Browns win, right? Do you think they get revenge on the Packers at home at Soldier Field? No. I do. Neither do I. For the record, I said they were going to split from the get-go. Um, at the NerS, I don’t see why they can’t beat them, honestly. And then the Lions, they ain’t beating the Lions. You could legitimately have a scenario. You could legitimately have the scenario where Seattle, Frisco, Chicago, and Detroit all finish 11 and six and one of them has to sit home and let the stupid NFC South champion get in. Mhm. With nine wins, you you could you could see that scenario. So that’s why even like even now even now it isn’t a it isn’t a great thing for the Lions. it it it just isn’t. But that game against the Bears could be a great equalizer because it could also e it could equal up things in the NFC as well. So, when you go down the tiebreers, we beat the Bears twice. Uh we’ve got we’ve got uh the same conference record, etc., etc., you know, because if you’re talking about a four-way tie, then they’re a whole bunch of tie breakers and and we would we would have the uh we would have the birth on them. So legitimately, you could look at So I’m gonna say it again. The the Lions can lose one more and and 10 and seven is not going to get you in. I don’t believe it. I don’t think so either. I don’t I don’t I don’t believe it’s going to happen, man. No. Not Not as a wild card. You might win a crappy division at 10 and seven, right? You you might like I’ll even look at the AFC. You could have a scenario where Pittsburgh Pittsburgh could win the division at 10 and seven. Yeah. They could win it at nine and eight. Oh yeah. Boy, Baltimore looks like crap. They’re crap. They really Lamar Lamar’s is hurt or something. There’s got to be something. Either that or he’s just done. I was What? Justin, did you watch any of that yesterday? Man, he does not look like Lamar Jackson. It’s a month now plus. No, he does not. He It looks like he he would rush to get back to make sure that they could compete to win the AFC North, but they just don’t look like they’re they’re good enough right now, especially with Lamar. Could you imagine that though? Like seriously, the last week of the year and and and Maz, I think you’re you’re barking up the right tree when you sit back and suggest that um they might move that game to a Sunday night. Mhm. Okay. All right. It’s a TBA right now. What a what a weird difference a year would make because a year ago we would we were playing obviously for the number one seed for the division and for a 15-2 record and this year you very well could be fighting for your playoff. Oh my I don’t you would win the tiebreaker right now over the 49ers. I don’t think you would beat the Seahawks in a wild card tiebreaker. Who are our losses to? How many AFC teams? Uh, we’re five and four in the division in the conference. Oh, or Hold on. Yeah, let me Gosh damn it. Yeah, I I know it’s it’s not Maybe it’s six and four. Let me Let me just double I’m going to double check my my losses to the Chiefs, the Packers twice. Yeah, we’re five and four in conference. We’re five and four in lost to the Vikings. Yeah, we’re five and four in conference. That Vikings loss is really going to bite us. And for what it’s worth, Chicago six and three. If we beat them and all things are considered equal, they mix in one. Frisco Frisco is 8-2. Seattle is six and three. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We would lose the tiebreaker to Seattle because our common opponents are Minnesota, the Rams, and that’s it. So, legitimately, it would be it would be us and the Bears. It would be Yeah. or or San Fran because if we would beat San Fran in the tiebreaker because we beat all the teams that they beat plus we would beat the Bears and if they lost to the Bears then we have that tiebreaker and I’m working under the assumption I mean just me personally I’m working under the assumption that Frisco will beat them out in Fris. I am also going on that assumption. Don’t hold your breath. Oo, I don’t think the likelihood of all four of them going 11 and six. Anyway, I’m I’m not I’m not sure how legit that is. I’m just presenting that could be that could be a potential thing going into that last week. There have been some 11 win teams that have been left out. The Patriots back in the day. Yeah. A year after winning the Super Bowl, right? It’s Yeah. How about the the Denver Broncos are the number one seed in the AFC and then of course the Pats are right there behind them but they lose the tiebreaker. So Denver controls their own destiny. The Denver look at the teams in the AFC that are it’s it’s like opposite day. Am I wrong? It’s opposite day. You have the Jags. You have the Texans. You have the Patriots. You have the Steelers, they stink. Anyone in that north, they’re horrible, the North. Then you have the Chargers. These are all the teams that they usually on the outside looking in. And it’s opposite day. The Chiefs are out. The Ravens are out. The Bills are fighting for their lives. The Dolphins have won four in a row. You know what the reality is? You talk about the Chiefs. The Chiefs could win out and and still easily miss the playoffs. Yeah. Easily. They could they could go I was looking at their schedule last night. They have Chargers at Titans, Broncos at home at Raiders. Okay. They could finish 10 and seven and easily miss out. Easily miss out. Boy, they look really really awkward. Mortal. Mortal. Very mortal. Like I I convince myself because we’ve seen it so much over the past five years. Oh, at some point in time they’re just going to get right. Oh, at some point and and it’s just not happening. I mean it it isn’t. It It’s just same thing for the Ravens. Yeah. Yep. Two teams that you thought would straighten it out. Two of the better quarterbacks. Well, obviously Mahomes, he was running for his life last night. He was just throwing balls away just to avoid sacks. Boy, can that Texans defense get after you. All right. Is there somebody Is there somebody behind us that that we should worry about? Meaning the Carolina Panthers. No. Okay. They’re playing good, but not not as good. They’re, listen to their schedule, though. They’re at the Saints. They host the Bucks, who suddenly look very, very, very mortal. They host the Seahawks. Then they’re at the Bucks. Yeah, I think you’re right. I I don’t worry about them creeping up. That screams two and two to me. Sounds about right. This is This is again, you guys, like we we we have to go at the very worst three and one. We have to go three and one. Like if from a Lions perspective, we do. We have to go three and one. Can they? Do you feel confident with the secondary the way it is that they can pull this together because of the matchups? Yes. Although nine looked legit yesterday, please. All right. No. Can I bring this up though? Let me just bring this up. Do Do you want the horror story of horror stories? They beat us again on Christmas Day. Well, then we don’t I want you to think about that. Then we don’t deserve it, right? Like Yeah. Like seriously. Yeah. I agree with Mass. Then we don’t deserve it. If you lose to the Vikings for a second time, you don’t deserve. If you let the Vikings even play in that game, you don’t deserve it. You don’t. If that game’s close, you don’t freaking deserve it. They should be They They should have something for That would be That would be four losses in the division, which would be two more than we had in the last two years. Yep. Wow. This is This is This is It’s going to be interesting down the stretch, man. It is. It’s It’s It’s going to be interesting. You heard Goff. He likes the trajectory the the He likes the the trajectory. Yeah. The trajectory of where they’re going. I think he’s like they’re going up. I think they go three and one. I think they go three and one and get in. And we’re going to get in as a seven seed. And then we’re probably gonna play the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs at Lambo. Jesus. Yep. Can we stop crapping in in our uh text chain? Why? Can we stop crapping on Love? Can we stop crapping on Caleb? No. Can we stop crapping on Micah Parsons? No. Yes. Well, that’s dumb. Will you We Those three those three take a lot of bullets in the chat. Listen, the the Micah bits horrible, you guys. And and I do you see that guy? I don’t want to take a victory lap for this, but Maz day one we were on this show and KG got so offended when I used the term. Remember I said I’m scared of the Packers. Yes. And and you know what? I don’t want to take a V victory lap on that, but here we are. Hell yeah. The Packers have shown themselves to be the best team in the division. And I don’t know how any of us could argue that. That defense is the real deal. They are. You got to stop with the Caleb stuff, though. I I’m I’m asking you. Nice. You have to stop. He’s not good. It’s not even two years yet. You don’t see improvement. He’s not good. Justin, yes, he has improved. All right, let me ask Justin. Yes, he has improved. Let me let me ask a younger version of us. Do you see something in Caleb Williams that could tell show you that he could be the leader of that team? The leader, no. Talented. Yes. Why leader? No. because he’s a man. I just don’t for in football reasons, I don’t feel like he makes winning plays. I feel like he shoots his team in the foot a lot and you saw it in that Packers game, but at the same time, he could win you that same game like he did in the Eagles game. It’s it’s he’s a gunslinger. It’s it’s Brett Favre. It’s Russian roulette. It’s what are you going to get on that day? I ju I just I don’t think he’s a good quarterback. I I I just don’t think he’s ever going to be something special. I really don’t. All right. I don’t. That that pass yesterday was like unacceptable. It one second earlier, a split second earlier, it’s a touchdown. Or if he throws it better, it’s a touchdown. I It was a perfect play. I think if he runs for the first down, we’re not having the conversation. You don’t want that cuz the clock’s 30 seconds. He still has plenty of time. He has plenty of time. I To me, the most important thing is get the first down because the game the game’s over. You don’t get the first down, the game’s over. If you throw an interception, the game’s over, right? So, I I just I I just don’t think he’s good. And I I think the numbers kind of warrant that out when you’re What was he here? I’m going to look it up right now. He’s not great. He had 200 yards of total offense. Talk talk amongst yourselves for just a second. I I think in their running game is good. I Yeah. Josh Jacobs is a hammer, but he’s not as good as our No, we’re going to Bears here. We’re talking Bears. Oh, Bears. Bears. We’re on the Guy and Swift are nice. They’re good. They’re solid. But solid, man. Yep. And Swift’s having a good year. Caleb Williams is I know he’s down in the in the numbers. I get it. Way down. He what’ you say he’s 20 in a QBR last night and he only dropped from there in in rating. In rating. Yeah. So he is let’s seeup. Oh, he’s way down there. All right. So the only quarterbacks that are above Caleb Williams, are you ready? Rattler, Tua, Jesus. Knicks, Wentz, Marcus Mariota, Gino Smith. Okay. I I I just I really honestly and Bears fans, I know you guys jump in. Are Are you guys high on this guy? Like, you’re having I can’t take anything away from you. You’re you’re having a really good season, right? I I’m gonna be honest with you guys the same way that I’m honest with our fan base. I don’t think you’re legit. I don’t think you have a playoff win in you. This was a nice year. I think it’s also a sign of things to come. I do I don’t like saying that. But do you feel do you feel confident with that guy as your quote unquote franchise quarterback? I I wouldn’t at this juncture almost two years in. H is this is is is that what we got? We just have a good quarterback. Is that what we have? I don’t know. We’ll wait and see how it goes. [Music]

Sean Baligian and the Morning crew talk about what needs to take place for the Detroit Lions to make this years NFL playoffs and compete for a Super Bowl championship, Like, Subscribe and leave your comment below!

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