No pressure, but the Detroit Lions have to win out for the remainder of the 2025 season in order to have the best shot at making the postseason.
Is that realistic? Probably not, especially with their toughest opponent on paper coming up in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams. Matthew Stafford is playing like an MVP, and as Lions fans know, it's tough to shut his water off when he's got the connection he has with his receivers this year.
Still, we need to dream. The Lions winning out would ensure that they control their own destiny headed into postseason seeding, with the Chicago Bears handling the rest having lost to the Green Bay Packers in Week 14. Beating them to end the year would almost guarantee Detroit a spot in the playoffs, and the Bears a ticket home.
Lions' best case scenario for postseason odds after Week 15
Detroit had to sit back and watch several games unfold on Sunday after they did their job in beating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14. As mentioned, the Packers beat the Bears, snatching the top spot in the NFC North from the Ben Johnson-led squad and looking like the bonafide best team in the division.
The New Orleans Saints, in a major lift to Detroit, also defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a final score of 24-20. Thanks are due to 26 year old rookie Tyler Shough, who proved that he should've been their starter much sooner in the year.
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Of course, it couldn't all be good news for Detroit. The Seattle Seahawks, currently battling for the 1 seed from the Rams, had to lose against the lowly Atlanta Falcons in order to help out the Lions' postseason chances. That's easier said than done, and they eventually blew out Atlanta. Now, the Lions are waiting to see if the Los Angeles Chargers can handle the "struggling" Philadelphia Eagles in Monday Night Football, further aiding Detroit's chances in the NFC.
Detroit is going into their Rams game without Brian Branch (achilles tear), and it remains unclear when Kerby Joseph will be ready to go this year, if at all, due to a recurring knee injury. The Lions' secondary keeps being put to the test this year because of both injuries and an extremely tough schedule, and Los Angeles represents their toughest remaining game.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will be fighting for their lives in the AFC North in Week 16 against Detroit, while the Bears will be doing the same in the NFC North in Week 18 against the Lions. As of now, Detroit's postseason odds sit at nearly 100 percent if they win out. It's all on them.