If the Vikings beat the Packers on Sunday, the Lions can clinch the NFC North with a win in Week 18 no matter what they do vs. the 49ers.
The Detroit Lions watched Washington beat Philadelphia on their cellphones following a 34-17 bounce-back win at Chicago that helped them keep pace with Minnesota in the race for the NFC North title and top seeding in the conference.
After the Detroit Lions saw their fortunes take a pleasant turn with the Washington Commanders’ upset of the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon, it appeared possible the Minnesota Vikings would extend the favor by losing to the Seahawks in Seattle.
A late 39-yard touchdown from Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson lifted the Vikings to their eighth straight win.
Evidence of such a crime against the Purple can be traced to the social media platform X, where the Detroit Lions on Tap account minimized Minnesota's successful season, exclaiming with obvious sarcasm "Great job" after pointing out the Vikings' modest strength of victory statistic.
Sam Darnold was not at his best, but Minnesota rode its ground game to victory and pulled even with Detroit at 12-2.
Both the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings won in Week 15, creating a tie atop the NFC as all three teams have 12-2 records. As it stands, Detroit currently holds the advantage over both teams. The Lions have a better record in the NFC than the Eagles, while they have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Vikings.
The Detroit Lions picked up their 13th win Sunday, the most in franchise history, with a 34-17 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 16.
The Detroit Lions are on the cusp of clinching both the NFC North and No. 1 seed in Week 17, but they're going to need some help from a division rival. Here's how the Lions can clinch both of those top spots this coming week.
Experts weigh in on this huge NFC North matchup. Can the Vikings sweep the Packers to keep hopes for the No. 1 seed alive?
Sam Darnold, Justin Jefferson and the Minnesota Vikings outlasted Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 to keep pace with Detroit for the top spot in the NFC.