The Detroit Lions are, very likely, not winning the NFC North. Their reign at the top of the division is probably over after dropping a huge game against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving. It was a must-win for them to remain in that race, and now, they're just fighting to make the postseason in general.
The NFC is extremely strong this year, and they have very tough opponents over the course of the rest of their season in the conference that they'll need to beat to remain in the race. The Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys, and a final bout against the Chicago Bears in Week 18 all await the Lions.
As for their specific odds at making the postseason, those have flipped a bit dramatically following their Thursday loss.
According to The Athletic's Playoff Simulator, the Lions sit at an 11 percent chance of winning the NFC North following their loss to the Packers. They're now also all the way down to 55 percent chances of making the postseason overall.
Lions' postseason chances are suddenly bleak after loss to Packers
Detroit has tough opponents ahead and has suffered a major injuries to Amon-Ra St. Brown before at least their next two games. On the schedule, they have a game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14, followed by a huge matchup against Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 15.
Winning at least beating their next four of five NFC opponents aside from the Rams boosts their odds of making the postseason significantly. But, even beating the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears, and Cowboys would result in just 30 percent odds of winning the NFC North.
READ MORE: Tom Brady said Jared Goff did something he never would
They have a lot to address to even make a postseason run feasible, let alone making a case for them being worth a postseason slot a legitimate one. Their pass rush remains a problem, with barely any quarterback hits or sacks generated against better trenches, while their offensive line has provided next to no pass protection when up against a team like the Packers.
And, there's the issue of play-calling. Detroit's playbook is in the hands of Dan Campbell, and that's gone from a great thing to a bad one. He's been mismanaging the clock a ton as well as attempting fourth-down conversions when it's clear the team has no mojo in that department. A major clean-up, from top to bottom, is necessary over the next five games to make the Lions look like contenders again, and not pretenders.