The Detroit Lions found themselves in a thriller on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.
But in the end, the Lions came up short, and the exciting game turned into a potentially costly loss.
There are three weeks left, and the Lions still have a lot of control over what comes next. But the playoff path just got harder.
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Are the Lions in or out of the playoffs?
Through Week 15, the Lions are out of the playoffs.
They sit eighth in the NFC, one spot out of the final wild card position.
The Lions are 8-6. The three wild cards are held by the 11-3 Seahawks, 10-4 49ers and 9-4-1 Packers.
ESPN gives the Lions a 34% chance of making the playoffs.
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The Lions host the Steelers in Week 16, go to Minnesota to play the Vikings in Week 17, then go to Chicago to play the Bears in Week 18. That's not a particularly easy closing stretch, and the Lions don't get a chance to hurt the Packers' chances. They'll likely need the Bears to falter enough to make that Week 18 game a win-and-in scenario. Other than that, the Lions will need a lot of help elsewhere.
It'd be hard to make up the two games on the 49ers with only three to play.
It'll be frustrating for Detroit fans when the NFC South champion has a worse record than the Lions, but that looks to be the way it's trending, and it's just the way the playoff bracket is set up.
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