Updated Detroit Lions playoff odds after all of Week 17

The Detroit Lions took care of their own business on Sunday, and here’s their updated playoff odds after all of Week 17’s action.

On Sunday, the Detroit Lions did what they needed to, beating the Chicago Bears and beating them handily 41-10. Through the early afternoon action, things were looking very good from a rooting perspective, most notably the Washington Commanders losing to the Cleveland Browns.

Entering the late window of games on Sunday, the Lions were in the final NFC playoff spot. If the Seattle Seahawks lost to the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers lost to the Minnesota Vikings, they would remain there heading into Week 18. A loss would, finally, eliminate the Packers from playoff contention and render the Week 18 game against the Lions meaningless to them.

The Seahawks beat the Jets 23-6, while the Packers all-around dominated the Vikings and won 41-17. The Lions’ playoff odds entered Week 17 still above 20 percent, and those two later results on Sunday negatively impacted those odds moving toward Week 18.

Updated Detroit Lions playoff odds after Week 17

According to FiveThirtyEight, the Lions now have a 17 percent chance to make the playoffs. Having to play the Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 18 is certainly a big reason for those diminished odds, along with the help Detroit needs.

The Lions need to win and have the Los Angeles Rams to beat the Seahawks next weekend to earn the final NFC playoff spot. Seattle of course beat Detroit back in Week 4, and have the head-to-head tiebreaker if both are 9-8. If the Packers win, they are in as the final Wild Card in the NFC.

There is another, more unlikely and complicated, scenario where the Lions can make the playoffs.

If they tie the Packers, the Seahawks and Rams tie and the Commanders beat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18, the Lions would make it based on winning a conference record tiebreaker over the Seahawks and Commanders (huge h/t to Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit). The tie would eliminate the Packers.

That the playoffs have even become a conversation after their 1-6 start this season is a huge step for the Lions. There’s still a chance for them to make it heading into Week 18.