The Detroit Lions are still, possibly, making the postseason.
After a 44-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys at home, the Lions are 8-5 on the season as they head into Week 15 against the No. 1 seed Los Angeles Rams. That's going to likely be the most difficult game on their remaining schedule, and it's now a game that holds a ridiculous amount of weight in terms of their postseason odds.
For beating the Cowboys, the Lions are now 55 percent likely to reach the postseason, per NFL Nex Gen Stats during the Lions-Cowboys primetime stream on Amazon Prime.
Had they lost, they would've fallen all the way down to just 19 percent odds of reaching a berth and the Wild Card. While the NFC North feels fairly lost for them given how well the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have been playing, they still have a shot to shock the NFC with a postseason appearance.
Lions postseason odds just skyrocketed thanks to win over Cowboys
You're going to hear "must win" for every single contest down the stretch for the Lions, especially since most of their games are against NFC opponents. Uniquely, they still have two games left against direct NFC North rivals, with their final game of the regular season coming against the Chicago Bears. That game can be extremely important for their shot at a Wild Card spot.
READ MORE: Lions’ offense is lacking a crucial element ahead of key Cowboys game
According to The Athletic's playoff simulator tool, a win over the Rams would almost guarantee a spot in the postseason for Detroit. That's easier said than done, of course. Los Angeles has had one of the sharpest passing offenses in the league thanks to Matthew Stafford's MVP performance this year, alongside Davante Adams and Puka Nacua.
The Lions did a decent job against the Cowboys and their potent receiving corp featuring CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Despite injuries having decimated their secondary - and, despite a late game injury to Brian Branch that should be of concern for the team headed into Week 15 - Detroit's defense still looks like it could have enough life to stay afloat against a team like the Rams.
The Carolina Panthers just proved Los Angeles is mortal, so why not?
The Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers should, frankly, be winnable contests for the Lions on paper. It's truly just their upcoming bouts against the Rams and Bears that should be of top priority to them following this victory. Of course, if they seal the deal in Week 15, things begin to feel a whole lot freer for them down the stretch.