Jared Goff talks about Rams trade
Jared Goff said he doesn’t feel as emotionally charged playing the Rams as he once did earlier in his career with the Lions, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025.
The Detroit Lions needed some help from an AFC rival to improve their playoff odds before their Week 15 matchup, but they didn’t get the outcome they desired.
The Lions (8-5, 3rd in NFC North) are facing off against the NFC’s top-seeded Los Angeles Rams (10-3, 1st in NFC West) on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
As the NFC’s No. 8 seed, the Lions entered the day with a 54% chance to make the playoffs per NFL Next Gen Stats, but those odds fell with the result in Chicago.
The No. 7-seeded Chicago Bears hosted the Cleveland Browns, and Lions fans were hoping for a Browns upset to allow the Lions to move into a playoff position with a win Sunday, since a 9-5 Lions team would own a tiebreaker over Chicago (thanks to their Week 2 victory). However, the Bears took care of business on a frigid day at Soldier Field, beating the Browns, 31-3, to improve to 10-4.
With the Bears beating the Browns, the Lions playoff odds have now lowered to 52% ahead of their game against the Rams (4:25 p.m., Fox). Here’s a look at what the rest of the NFC playoff picture looks like, including how a Lions win can help improve their position.
Lions playoff scenarios
Here’s the latest info on how the Lions can make it into the NFL playoffs, how they could miss out and what their playoff odds are.
What are Lions’ odds to make NFL playoffs?
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Lions have a 52% chance of making the playoffs. If they beat the Rams, they will have a 73% chance to make the postseason, but those odds drop to 40% with a loss.
NFC playoff standings
Only the top seven teams make the playoffs in each conference. Here are the NFC standings as of Sunday at 6 p.m., with playoff odds from NFL Next Gen Stats:
- Rams: 10-3, 97%
- Packers: 9-3-1, 92%
- Eagles: 9-5, 95%
- Panthers: 7-6, 47%
- Seahawks: 10-3, 97%
- Bears, 10-4, 68%
- 49ers: 9-4, 93%
- *Lions: 8-5, 52%
- *Buccaneers: 7-7, 54%
- *Cowboys: 6-6-1, 8%
*Currently out of the playoffs
How Lions can make playoffs
The Lions still control their own playoff destiny despite currently being out of the playoff picture as the No. 8 seed. However, if the Lions lose any of their four remaining regular-season games, they will need additional outcomes to break their way in order to make it to the postseason.
- If the Lions go 4-0 in their remaining regular-season games and finish 12-5, they will make the playoffs no matter the outcome of any other game (and have an outside shot of grabbing the No. 1 seed in the NFC).
- If the Lions go 3-1 in their final four games and finish 11-6, they will still make the playoffs if the Bears go 1-2 in their final three games and one of those two losses is to Detroit. An 11-6 Lions team could also theoretically overtake the San Francisco 49ers for a wild-card spot, but that would require the 49ers to lose three of four.
- If the Lions go 2-2 in their final four games and finish 10-7, they will have a very difficult time of making the playoffs, especially if one of those losses is to Chicago. In that scenario, either the Rams or 49ers would need to lose all four remaining regular-season games for the Lions to make the playoffs, including Week 15.
- If the Lions go 1-3 in their final four games and finish 9-8, they will be eliminated from the playoffs.
- The Lions will be eliminated from playoff contention if they go 0-4, too.
Lions schedule: Next game, final stretch
- Week 16, Sunday, Dec. 21: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:25 p.m., CBS.
- Week 17, Thursday, Dec. 25: at Minnesota Vikings, 4:30 p.m., Netflix.
- Week 18, Saturday/Sunday, Jan. 3-4: at Chicago Bears, TBD.
Bears schedule: Next game, final stretch
- Week 16, Saturday, Dec. 20: vs Green Bay Packers, 8:20 p.m. ET, Fox.
- Week 17, Sunday, Dec. 28: at San Francisco 49ers, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC.
- Week 18, Saturday/Sunday, Jan. 3-4: vs Detroit Lions, TBD.
When do NFL playoffs start?
The wild-card round is Jan. 10-12.
NFL playoffs schedule
- Wild-card round: Jan. 10-12.
- Divisional round: Jan. 17-18.
- Conference championships: Jan. 25.
- Super Bowl 60: Feb. 8.
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You can reach Christian at [email protected].
