Detroit Lions see Week 18 against the Packers as a playoff game no matter what

It’s not a big surprise, but the Detroit Lions see the regular season finale against the Green Bay Packers as a playoff game.

If the Los Angeles Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks earlier on Sunday, Sunday night’s game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers will be for the final playoff spot in the NFC. There’s another scenario where the Lions could get in without winning, with a tie, a Rams-Seahawks tie and the Washington Commanders beating the Dallas Cowboys (a 4:25 ET kickoff like Rams-Seahawks) on Sunday.

In bigger picture ways though, there’s plenty at stake for the Lions in the regular season finale even if they can’t get into the playoffs. After a 1-6 start this season, rallying to a 9-8 finish would be quite an accomplishment. Head coach Dan Campbell has noted the prospect of playing spoiler to the Packers, and he has certainly passed along that vibe to the players. Interlaced with the aforementioned two things, the Lions can simply set a tone looking to 2023 with a win over Green Bay.

The Detroit Lions see Week 18 as a playoff game, regardless of if it matters for them to get in

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Campbell talked about what the regular season finale against the Packers means.

"I just know for us, it means something that we climbed back out of the cellar and got ourselves in position to play for one more meaningful game here before the year ends, man,” “And that’s a step in the right direction.”The bottom line is, I can just gauge the room and you can feel it. I mean, we get to be on the big stage, man, and our guys are excited about that. One way or another, we get to play one more game — at the very least, we’re playing one more game. And it’s just going to be on a great stage. And everybody’s going to see it. And our guys, one way or another, I think they’re going to embrace it, I really do — no matter what happens.”It will be played like a playoff game.”"

ESPN’s Eric Woodyard took a sampling of players in the Lions’ locker room on Wednesday.  He asked Amon-Ra St. Brown if this is the biggest game of his career.

"Yeah, I would say so for sure. I’m excited. My only two prime-time games have been in Lambeau Field at night so I can’t wait to see the atmosphere,” St. Brown told ESPN. “I want to have a good performance but shoot, I want to win the game. That’s the most important thing.”"

Running back D’Andre Swift echoed St. Brown regarding Sunday night being the biggest game of his career, and he used the p-word.

"Oh, for sure. Most definitely. It’s a playoff game in my eyes,” Swift said. “Sunday Night Football with everybody watching. It don’t get too much better than this.”"

Not that anyone really wondered about it, or saw it as a potential issue. But even if they can’t make the playoffs with a win, the Lions will not be resting players, lacking effort or doing anything remotely resembling laying down for the Packers on Sunday night.