Can the Detroit Lions still make the playoffs?

1 week ago 2

The NFL's 2025 regular season concludes with its Sunday slate.

For the Detroit Lions (8-8), it means one final trip to Soldier Field to battle the Chicago Bears (11-5). After back-to-back NFC North championships and consecutive trips to the postseason, the Lions lost their grip of the division in this 2025-26 season.

The Bears clinched the NFC North title in Week 17 when the Green Bay Packers lost to the Baltimore Ravens. The Lions were also officially eliminated from playoff contention with their 23-10 Christmas Day loss at the Minnesota Vikings.

Even with Detroit eliminated from playoff contention, Lions head coach Dan Campbell said to begin this week that he and the organization can still find out a lot about themselves with their finale at the Bears.

"One more left and, look, you can always find a lot out with one to go. And, no, we’re not playing for the playoffs, but there’s still things we can find out and I expect the guys that we have here to give it what they’ve got one more time. That’s the expectation.

"How players play, how they do on the road. Maybe a second time, how they play at this position. How they handle pressure, how they handle with nothing to play for. There’s a little bit of everything. Just find a lot out," Campbell said.

As NFL Sunday in Week 18 arrives, here's a look at the current NFC playoffs picture:

Current NFC playoffs picture

Week 18 NFC playoffs scenarios

There's only one division still to be decided. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers on Saturday afternoon, 16-14, opening the door to a potential Bucs NFC South crown.

Both the Bucs or Panthers can still win the NFC South, but neither controls its own fate, because an Atlanta Falcons win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday would trigger a three-way tie atop the NFC South standings.

If the Falcons beat the Saints in Week 18 from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the Bucs win the NFC South. If the Saints beat the Falcons on Sunday, the Panthers would win the NFC South. Both the Bucs or Panthers would be the No. 4 seed if they win the NFC South.

Here's everything else that's at stake in the NFC playoff picture in Week 18:

Eagles clinch the NFC's No. 2 seed with a win over the Commanders combined with a Bears loss vs. the Lions; Eagles are the No. 3 seed otherwise
49ers earn the No. 5 seed if the Rams lose vs. the Arizona Cardinals; 49ers are the No. 6 seed if the Rams win
Rams earn the No. 5 seed if they win vs. the Cardinals; Rams are the No. 6 seed with a loss vs. the Cardinals

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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Can the Detroit Lions still make the playoffs?

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