The Detroit Lions have backed themselves into a corner for the final three weeks of the 2025 season, and there's only one way out at this point in time: winning.
Anything less than a three-game winning streak to end the season, and the Lions are likely to be on the outside looking in of the NFC playoff race. It would be a tough development for a team that has made the playoffs the last two years and fancies themselves a Super Bowl contender, but it is the reality they are dealing with.
The defeat to the Los Angeles Rams has placed Detroit in a desperate position, and players are well aware of what awaits the Lions the rest of the season. Aidan Hutchinson enjoyed a big game, with an interception and a sack, so he certainly did his part to fuel a struggling defensive effort. Now, he realizes the Lions have painted themselves into a corner.
"I don't know if (destiny) is in our control anymore. I'm not really sure, but I know we have an opportunity to finish strong as a team and we got the guys to do it. We're kind of putting everything into the Steelers (game) now. It's been must-win and now we got to keep winning. I don't really know what this means for the playoff picture, (but) I know it's not a great result."
Must-win is the new buzzword for the rest of the season, and as Hutchinson seems to understand, the Lions just need to win first and let the other chips fall where they may. It's not an ideal situation to be in, but it's the predicament that Detroit will have to deal with the rest of this year.
Alim McNeill calls on Lions to finish season undefeated with winning streak
For the Lions, the best outcome would be to win out. The team doesn't control it's destiny in the sense that they could still miss the playoffs based on what else happens in other games, but the easiest way to take a jump forward would be to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16 and take the first step toward a perfect finish.
McNeill, who's become one of the heartbeats of the team and a veteran leader defensively, left nothing to the imagination about where the team has to go moving forward and the situation they are win. As he said, perfection the rest of the way is the only solution.
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"Just go 3-0. That's the only goal. Win out. (The situation) already felt real. I'm being completely honest. We knew what it was. We knew what time it was. We didn't take anything for granted thinking we were just going to come (to Los Angeles) and win this game. We knew it was real, though. It's definitely more real now."
The situation is desperate for the Lions, and their important players are well aware the only off ramp is winning out while hoping for some help. The only thing they can control is their effort, and McNeill wants to see a strong one from everybody to close out the season.