The Detroit Lions won’t be representing the NFC in the playoffs after being eliminated from playoff contention with their loss on Christmas. But there is still one opportunity Week 18 Sunday in Chicago to spoil the Bears’ hopes for the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and potentially sweep the season series against the NFC North champion Bears.
It’s an opportunity to break a three-game losing streak and end a difficult season on a good note, finishing above .500 on the year. It’s one more opportunity to play their brand of football and regain some respect.
“It’s what we stand for as an organization,” Edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad said Wednesday. “No matter if it’s playoffs or no playoffs, we are a great team and a tough team and we’re going to go out there and compete and we’re going to play as if we’re playing for the No. 1 seed.
“At the end of the day, it says a lot about the individuals on the team and as an organization, what we are about. No matter how the outcome of the year came, you’re a professional and as a professional, that’s how you go about your business.”
The Lions might play it safe with some players dealing with injuries who end the week as questionable to play and hold them out Sunday, but overall, Chicago is the last game on the schedule and Detroit wants to win it, much like they did in Green Bay Week 18 in 2022. Even without playoffs on the line, that win kicked off an important offseason that got the team on track for the next two seasons in 2023 (NFC Championship Game) and 2024 (No. 1 seed in NFC) before the step back this season.
“It’s what I’m paid to do,” quarterback Jared Goff said Wednesday when asked why it’s important for him to play Sunday and try to finish the year strong. “I’m the quarterback of this team. I’m paid to play on Sundays and do my job and do it to the best of my abilities. It doesn’t matter what our record is or what the situation may be. That’s my job.
“And it’s about respect. Not only respect for yourself, within your own team but respect around the league. We want to go out there and put something good on tape that can gain a little respect back from probably some of the loss of respect we earned this year.”
