Aaron Rodgers has another opportunity to make his mark on the NFC North this coming Sunday.
As annoying as this will sound to Detroit Lions fans tired of seeing Rodgers' face anywhere around the team, he can help make or break the teams' postseason chances in Week 16 with a win. Pittsburgh, the current top team in the AFC North, is on a journey towards clinching a playoff spot over the Baltimore Ravens. A win would help their chances a ton in that respect.
As for the Lions, a loss pushes their chances at a postseason spot to a dangerously low level. A loss also, more importantly, helps out the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers in their pursuit of a clinching game. If Detroit drops this contest, both the Bears and Packers could tie and eliminate the Lions altogether.
Wacky scenario could be in play if Steelers beat Lions in Week 16
Pittsburgh hasn't been a juggernaut by any means this season. There's only so much you can accomplish with...let's say, a veteran, under center. But, it's genuinely hard to doubt Rodgers' ability to still break out a big game at his age, which is what we saw in Week 15 from him against the Miami Dolphins. A 125.9 passer rating and two touchdowns to no turnovers could be just enough to get over a team like the Lions if their offense can't hold up against Pittsburgh's defense.
Of course, their defense hasn't exactly been a lock to perform admirably, and they looked strong against a struggling Dolphins team with Tua Tagovailoa in tow. Detroit's offense is one of the best in the NFL, and is relatively healthy compared to their defense. It's just their offensive line that could present an issue, especially if T.J. Watt comes back healthy for this game.
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If Pittsburgh does manage to win this one over Detroit, obviously, this pushes the Lions' postseason chances down to the single digits. But, it also presents the Bears and Packers with a strange opportunity: the teams could tie, both clinch a postseason spot, and eliminate the Lions in one fell swoop.
Would the two clubs coordinate like that? It's unlikely, especially since they're still in a competition to win the division outright. Additionally, they play on Saturday night, which makes it a little difficult to take a chance on tying things up with the hopes that the Steelers' hot night against a lowly AFC East team could translate against the league's leader in scoring.
Things are just going to get stranger as we tumble towards Week 18 against Chicago, especially if the Lions find themselves in need of one more NFC win in order to get a shot at the postseason. The NFC North just refuses to take a day off from being dramatic - so much so, even Rodgers has to get in on the fun, one last time.