Lions’ Improbable Playoff Path Narrows After Tough Loss to Carolina

Getty Jared Goff gets crunched by the Panthers in a 2022 game.

The Detroit Lions don’t have much margin for error the rest of the way, and their narrow path to the playoffs took another hit with a tough loss in Week 16.

In spite of the 37-23 loss, the Lions remain alive in the NFC playoff race, but will be watching the standings closely to see what happens around them. With the loss, what has to happen now?

The Lions are still alive, but they need to win their next two games and see the opposition go 1-1 over the next two weeks in order to make up any ground. Colton Pouncey of The Athletic provided the blueprint for fans to remember:

“If Seattle and Washington lose, the Lions would still just have to be one game better than those two teams over the final two weeks. Detroit: 2-0 (Bears, Packers). Washington: 1-1 (Browns, Cowboys). Seattle: 1-1 (Jets, Rams). This was the week to make a move, though,” Pouncey wrote on Twitter.

Pouncey is right to say the Lions should have wanted to make a move this week, but alas, they could not get the job done. As a result, they will have to resort to rooting against teams now, and scoreboard watching.

The Lions are still alive even after the loss, and have not been eliminated yet. That’s reason to give thanks even amid an ugly performance.

Where Detroit Stands in NFC Playoff Race

Following the tough loss in Week 16, the Lions are still alive in the NFC playoff race at 7-8. Detroit has an even tighter margin for error with eight losses, but their schedule will likely keep them a factor down the stretch.

The team’s schedule is still favorable with a pair of games with teams under .500. In Week 17, the Lions return home to take on the Bears. They will finish by visiting Green Bay to end the year. That’s still a very ripe stretch for Detroit, and offers the team plenty of opportunity.

As of now, the Lions are still behind both the Giants and Commanders, and will be hoping for them to drop a few games late-season to help them out, while hoping the NFC East eats its own in the days ahead. Seattle faces a tough schedule with a game against the Jets coming as well as the Los Angeles Rams, who haven’t backed down.

At this point, the team is still a playoff long shot. To them, however, it likely doesn’t matter. The Lions are playing out the string as hard as they can to set themselves up for 2023. If they can get over the hump and make the postseason, advantage them.

Key Week 17 Games for Lions’ Playoff Push

The Lions need to find a way to win a few more games in order to get into the playoffs, but now, they are going to need plenty of help around them in the standings.

The Washington Commanders will tangle with the Browns and Cowboys to close the season. New York, meanwhile, finishes with Indianapolis and Philadelphia. 1-1 is certainly possible for New York, and the potential for 0-2 is there for Washington as well.

In Seattle, the Seahawks end with the New York Jets and the Rams. It’s not a terribly easy slate at all, even as the Rams look the part of pushovers while the Jets have struggled.

Nevertheless, the Lions will be scoreboard-watching now, with the hopes that they can get some lucky breaks around them as they try to handle their business better than they did in Week 16.