The Lions opened Kalif Raymond's 21-day return-to-practice window but do not expect to have the return man for Monday's game vs. the 49ers

If the Vikings lose to the Packers on Sunday, the Lions will win the North by beating the 49ers on Monday night. In that scenario, Minnesota would be 13-3 and Detroit would be 14-2, so even if the Vikings defeated Detroit in Week 18 and both teams finished 14-3, the Lions win the tiebreaker (best record against divisional opponents).

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 NFL season has reached its final two weeks, and the Detroit Lions are firmly in the race for a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs in the NFC. As it stands, the Lions are in a tie for the top spot in the NFC with an NFC North divisional opponent,

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.

This season has been awesome for Minnesota Vikings fans. The team has exceeded even the most optimistic fans’ wildest preseason expectations. Sam Darnold

The last time the Detroit Lions played at Levi’s Stadium, they endured a heartbreaking 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game last season. When the teams meet again next Monday in the same venue, experts are predicting a different outcome.

The Green Bay Packers could be peaking at the right time, they'll get a stiff test on the road against Minnesota this Sunday.

When asked if Hooker was at the point where they would trust him to play in a postseason game, Mark Brunell said, “Absolutely, I would.”

The Vikings can still claim the No. 1 seed in the NFC if they win both of their remaining games — Sunday against the Packers