The Detroit Lions lost a tough game to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and while their playoff odds have taken a near-fatal hit, the fact is, they still haven't been entirely eliminated from the conversation.
Far stranger things have happened than a two game winning streak to finish the season combined with a two game losing streak for someone else. But no matter what the odds say, the only way the Lions are going to get back in the hunt is by getting back to their bedrock fundamentals.
Mentally, it could take a lot for the Lions to play hard in Week 17 with the odds not decidedly in their favor. In spite of that, Jared Goff knows the goal this week is to show that the Lions have a strong team character no matter how much of a long shot they may be to make the postseason.
"(Let's) find out who we are character-wise. Find out what we're made of. We know the percentages and whatnot. We know we're not eliminated, but we know we need some things to go our way. (Let's) see if we can win these last two and see if we can get in. And I know we'll be dangerous if we can. That's the hard part."
Some would contend it's particularly frustrating that the Lions don't yet know who they are at this point of the season, but Goff disagrees with that assessment. He simply believes they are struggling with consistency in between the lines.
"I know who we are. I know exactly who we are. I think we've struggled to do it successfully every game. But I know who we are (and) I know what we can be. It's just certain games we haven't been firing on all cylinders."
Regardless of the talk, the Lions are clearly running out of time to show they have the same character that Goff is referring to. If they have those goods under the hood, they will rally to win the last two games and let the chips fall where they may in terms of outside help. It's the only admirable way to conclude the year.
Goff challenges Lions to finish season strong no matter the circumstances
The last few seasons, the Lions have been in the driver's seat late in the year. They haven't had to claw just to make a playoff push since their surprise run in 2022. That will force them to dig deep and find a level of determination that perhaps they have forgotten exists within.
Goff wants to see the Lions step up and show they are committed to working hard even despite long odds. On the periphery, there is nothing to play for, but the final two games represent an important litmus test for the culture Detroit has built.
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"We haven't had that feeling and it's creeping in on us now. We got to find a way. I think it goes back to Dan (Campbell's) message. Are we who we say we are? Are we still going to be who we say we are and show up to work and do the whole thing on a short week? It's tough and we got to go on the road. It's hard, but we're built for it. I'm excited to see guys bounce back and find a way to get a win this week."
No matter what happens within the playoff picture, the Lions need to focus on going 2-0. It will help boost them into the offseason with a much better feeling.