As if the stakes aren't high enough for the Detroit Lions heading into their Monday Night Football tilt with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Lions (4-2) are reeling from a loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, and now have to face off against quarterback Baker Mayfield and the NFC conference-leading Buccaneers (5-1) to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time in the regular season since 2022. It's a matchup that already has high stakes as the winner of this game will hold a tiebreaker that could decide the #1 seed and the much-desired first round bye for the playoffs.
Don't let the Lions being favored by a touchdown fool you, it's going to be a battle. The Lions' secondary will be full of fresh faces after a slew of injuries and a Brian Branch suspension. The Buccaneers have their own injuries, but the prospect of wide receivers Mike Evans and Emeka Egbuka suiting up will make every stop a luxury the offense can't afford to not take advantage of.
To amplify the stakes of Monday's game even further, the rest of the NFC North continues to look extremely strong.
The NFC North is tighter than ever
Dreams of the Lions finally coasting to a division title have once again been dashed. Just like last season, every NFC North team is currently at .500 or better at this stage of the season, and is the only division right now with that distinction.
The Chicago Bears (4-2) have the same record they did at this point last season. However, this season's Bears team feels different. More competent. Under head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears have scored 20 points or more in every game this season, and 25 points or more during their four-game win streak. Questions surrounding QB Caleb Williams may remain, but Sunday's 26-14 win against the New Orleans Saints showed the potential of their running back duo of D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, who combined for 205 rushing yards.
READ MORE: 3 Buccaneers players not named Baker Mayfield that the Lions will need to plan for
The Green Bay Packers (4-1-1) continue to be pesky, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. This time, it was the Arizona Cardinals who couldn't put the Packers away, losing 27-23. The Cardinals did have one last chance after Packers RB Josh Jacobs, who was at risk of missing Sunday's game due to calf injury and an illness, rushed for a touchdown with just under two minutes remaining. However, the Cardinals' final drive fell short, allowing the Packers to escape with the win. If the Lions do defeat the Buccaneers on Monday, the Packers would then have the best record in the NFC by virtue of win percentage.
The only NFC North team to lose on Sunday were the Minnesota Vikings (3-3). The Vikings, led by QB Carson Wentz, made life difficult for the defending Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles. Their comeback attempt fell short in a 28-22 loss. Losing that game required multiple turnovers from Wentz, including a pick-six, as well as Eagles' QB Jalen Hurts throwing for his first-career perfect passer rating.
A loss on Monday means the Lions fall to third place in the NFC North entering the bye week, with a game against the Vikings waiting for them on the other side of it. This is the most difficult stretch of the season for the Lions, but the silver lining is that we're only a third of the way through the season. No matter the result of the game against the Buccaneers, the Lions will have plenty of time to get healthier and possibly take control of the division. Despite that, it's tough to not feel the weight of this game and how much it can matter down the road.