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.

Is Detroit on a collision course with Minnesota for the top seed in the playoffs? Despite the best season in franchise history, their division rival may derail their plans for a first-round bye.

A late 39-yard touchdown from Sam Darnold to Justin Jefferson lifted the Vikings to their eighth straight win.

With two games to go, here's what the Lions need to have happen to clinch the NFC's No. 1 seed and secure a first-round bye.

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.

Coming into this 2024 NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings weren't expected to be any kind of genuine threat in the NFC. But with two weeks to go, here they are. I

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

The Bears have won the past two meetings after losing three in a row to the Seahawks. They prevailed last time when Nick Foles threw a late 15-yard touchdown to Jimmy Graham, and Damiere Byrd made an acrobatic catch on the 2-point conversion.

Atoya Burleson and Nate Burleson attend the 44th Annual Sports Emmy Awards at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on May 22, 2023 in New York City. Nate Burleson’s wife, Atoya Burleson, has been by his side through every phase of his career.