TL;DR
- Detroit Lions narrowly beat Giants but face playoff doubts after Thanksgiving loss.
- The Lions are 7-5 and trail the 49ers by one game for a wild-card spot.
- Detroit is 1.5 games behind the Chicago Bears in the NFC North standings.
- The Lions must win remaining games to secure NFC North championship or wild-card berth.
The Detroit Lions managed to avoid succumbing to complete panic by narrowly defeating an upset attempt from the New York Giants in Week 12, yet their playoff prospects are now in doubt after a Thanksgiving defeat.
The Detroit Lions, now 7-5, face a significant threat of not making the playoffs in a highly competitive NFC, especially after their recent loss to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. It's worth noting that the Lions began Thanksgiving Day outside of a playoff position.
Despite this, they're also aware of a feasible route to securing another NFC North championship by playing strategically in the remaining regular season games. This objective must commence in Week 14, following their defeat against Green Bay.
Here’s a closer look at the Lions’ playoff chances after Week 13.
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Lions playoff picture
The Lions were not in playoff contention heading into Week 13, and they'll stay that way at 7-5, sitting a game behind the seventh-place 49ers. This is a breakdown of their position in the NFC North and the NFC wild-card standings.
NFC North standings
| Rank | Team | Record | GB |
| 1 | Bears | 8-3 | — |
| 2 | Packers | 8-3-1 | — |
| 3 | Lions | 7-5 | 1.5 |
| 4 | Vikings | 4-7 | 4.0 |
Though the Minnesota Vikings are no longer contenders in the NFC North, the Lions, Packers, and Chicago Bears remain closely matched, all within two games of one another. The Lions find themselves in third place after Thanksgiving, behind Chicago by 1.5 games in the division standings. Green Bay is currently tied for first, but with an extra tiebreaker.
The Bears and Vikings have yet to play in Week 14, however.
MORE: Why the Lions always play on Thanksgiving
NFC wild-card standings
| Team | Record | GB |
| Seahawks (WC1) | 8-3 | +0.0 |
| Packers (WC2) | 8-3-1 | — |
| 49ers (WC3) | 8-4 | — |
| Lions | 7-5 | 1.0 |
| Panthers | 6-6 | 2.0 |
| Cowboys | 5-5-1 | 2.0 |
| Falcons | 4-7 | 3.5 |
| Vikings | 4-7 | 3.5 |
| Cardinals | 3-8 | 4.5 |
| Commanders | 3-8 | 4.5 |
| Saints | 2-9 | 5.5 |
| Giants | 2-10 | ELIM |
with a 7-5 record, a playoff berth in the NFC this season remains out of reach for now, as the Lions find themselves on the periphery after Thanksgiving. Detroit is currently one game behind the San Francisco 49ers and the Packers, and trailing the Seattle Seahawks by 1.5 games.
Given that three teams are closely trailing in the wild-card standings and the NFC North title remains contested, the Lions should feel optimistic about their prospects if they can perform well in their remaining games. However, it's evident now that they won't have an easy path through December as they did in 2024.
MORE: Get to know Lions Thanksgiving Day halftime performer Jack White
Lions remaining schedule
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) |
| Dec. 4 | vs. Cowboys | 8:15 p.m. |
| Dec. 14 | at Rams | 4:25 p.m. |
| Dec. 21 | vs. Steelers | 4:25 p.m. |
| Dec. 25 | at Vikings | 4:30 p.m. |
| Jan. 4 | at Bears | TBD |
The Lions host the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14 before heading west to face the NFC-leading Los Angeles Rams in Week 15.
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