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.

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.

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.

Now at 13-2, the Vikings have kept pace with the 13-2 Lions with just two weeks left. Minnesota faces Green Bay at home next week before taking on Detroit in Week 18. At 8-7, it’s a costly loss for the Seahawks, who have now fallen a game behind the Rams ...

Chicago (4-10) rides an eight-game losing streak into a matchup with Detroit (12-2) on Sunday, December 22, 2024 at Soldier Field. The Lions are notable favorites in this one, with the spread

Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels threw five touchdown passes as the Commanders rallied for a 36-33 victory over Philadelphia that halted the Eagles' 10-game NFL winning streak.In Seattle, Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold hit Justin Jefferson with his third touchdown pass of the game with 3:51 to play and the Vikings escaped with their eighth straight win.

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?