{"id":653050,"date":"2026-01-04T10:56:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T10:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/653050\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T10:56:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T10:56:23","slug":"can-the-detroit-lions-still-make-the-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/653050\/","title":{"rendered":"Can the Detroit Lions still make the playoffs?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The NFL&#8217;s 2025 regular season concludes with its Sunday slate.<\/p>\n<p>For the <a href=\"https:\/\/lionswire.usatoday.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Detroit Lions;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Detroit Lions<\/a> (8-8), it means one final trip to Soldier Field to battle the <a href=\"https:\/\/bearswire.usatoday.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Chicago Bears;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Chicago Bears<\/a> (11-5). After back-to-back NFC North championships and consecutive trips to the postseason, the <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsdata.usatoday.com\/football\/nfl\/teams\/detroit-lions\/334\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Lions;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Lions<\/a> lost their grip of the division in this 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>The Bears clinched the NFC North title in Week 17 when the <a href=\"https:\/\/packerswire.usatoday.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Green Bay Packers;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Green Bay Packers<\/a> lost to the <a href=\"https:\/\/ravenswire.usatoday.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Baltimore Ravens;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Baltimore Ravens<\/a>. The Lions were also <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/lions-playoff-chances-eliminated-vikings-005511589.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:officially eliminated from playoff contention;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">officially eliminated from playoff contention<\/a> with their 23-10 Christmas Day loss at the <a href=\"https:\/\/vikingswire.usatoday.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Minnesota Vikings;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Minnesota Vikings<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Even with Detroit eliminated from playoff contention, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said to begin this week that he and the <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/articles\/lions-still-lot-vs-bears-104603933.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:organization can still find out a lot about themselves;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">organization can still find out a lot about themselves<\/a> with their finale at the Bears.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;One more left and, look, you can always find a lot out with one to go. And, no, we\u2019re not playing for the playoffs, but there\u2019s still things we can find out and I expect the guys that we have here to give it what they\u2019ve got one more time. That\u2019s the expectation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;How players play, how they do on the road. Maybe a second time, how they play at this position. How they handle pressure, how they handle with nothing to play for. There\u2019s a little bit of everything. Just find a lot out,&#8221; Campbell said.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>As NFL Sunday in Week 18 arrives, here&#8217;s a look at the current NFC playoffs picture:<\/p>\n<p>Current NFC playoffs pictureWeek 18 NFC playoffs scenarios<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s only one division still to be decided. The <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsdata.usatoday.com\/football\/nfl\/teams\/tampa-bay-buccaneers\/362\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Tampa Bay Buccaneers;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a> beat the <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsdata.usatoday.com\/football\/nfl\/teams\/carolina-panthers\/364\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Carolina Panthers;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Carolina Panthers<\/a> on Saturday afternoon, 16-14, opening the door to a potential Bucs NFC South crown.<\/p>\n<p>Both the Bucs or Panthers can still win the NFC South, but neither controls its own fate, because an <a href=\"https:\/\/thefalconswire.usatoday.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Atlanta Falcons;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Atlanta Falcons<\/a> win over the <a href=\"https:\/\/saintswire.usatoday.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:New Orleans Saints;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">New Orleans Saints<\/a> on Sunday would trigger a three-way tie atop the NFC South standings.<\/p>\n<p>If the Falcons beat the <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsdata.usatoday.com\/football\/nfl\/teams\/new-orleans-saints\/350\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Saints;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Saints<\/a> in Week 18 from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the Bucs win the NFC South. If the Saints beat the Falcons on Sunday, the Panthers would win the NFC South. Both the Bucs or Panthers would be the No. 4 seed if they win the NFC South.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s everything else that&#8217;s at stake in the NFC playoff picture in Week 18:<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Eagles clinch the NFC&#8217;s No. 2 seed with a win over the Commanders combined with a Bears loss vs. the Lions; Eagles are the No. 3 seed otherwise<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">49ers earn the No. 5 seed if the <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsdata.usatoday.com\/football\/nfl\/teams\/los-angeles-rams\/343\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Rams;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Rams<\/a> lose vs. the <a href=\"https:\/\/cardswire.usatoday.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Arizona Cardinals;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Arizona Cardinals<\/a>; 49ers are the No. 6 seed if the Rams win<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Rams earn the No. 5 seed if they win vs. the <a href=\"https:\/\/sportsdata.usatoday.com\/football\/nfl\/teams\/arizona-cardinals\/355\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Cardinals;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Cardinals<\/a>; Rams are the No. 6 seed with a loss vs. the Cardinals<\/p>\n<p>For more\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sportsdata.usatoday.com\/football\/nfl\/teams\/detroit-lions\/334\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Lions;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Lions<\/a>\u00a0coverage, follow us on X,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/thelionswire\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:@TheLionsWire;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">@TheLionsWire<\/a>, and give our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lionswire\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Facebook;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Facebook<\/a>\u00a0page a like.<\/p>\n<p>This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: <a href=\"https:\/\/lionswire.usatoday.com\/story\/sports\/nfl\/lions\/2026\/01\/04\/can-lions-still-make-playoffs-week-18-vs-bears\/88013443007\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Can the Detroit Lions still make the playoffs?;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Can the Detroit Lions still make the playoffs?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The NFL&#8217;s 2025 regular season concludes with its Sunday slate. For the Detroit Lions (8-8), it means one&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":653051,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2071],"tags":[390,254,117,260,391,6214,146,113,2506,7,345,147,58,259,55,1867,18636,1591,6,109,252,261,250,4378,111],"class_list":["post-653050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-detroit-lions","tag-arizona-cardinals","tag-atlanta-falcons","tag-baltimore-ravens","tag-carolina-panthers","tag-chicago-bears","tag-dan-campbell","tag-detroit","tag-detroit-lions","tag-detroitlions","tag-football","tag-green-bay-packers","tag-lions","tag-los-angeles-rams","tag-minnesota-vikings","tag-new-orleans-saints","tag-nfc-playoff-picture","tag-nfc-playoffs","tag-nfc-south","tag-nfl","tag-philadelphia-eagles","tag-san-francisco-49ers","tag-seattle-seahawks","tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","tag-the-lions","tag-washington-commanders"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115836471996925515","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=653050"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/653050\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/653051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=653050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=653050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=653050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}