Who Will the Lions Play in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs?
Since the Lions are the one seed on the NFC side of the NFL Playoffs, they have a bye week this week. The Lions will play the worst seed of whoever wins the Wild Card Games on the NFC side. Their opponents could be the Rams, the Vikings, or the Commanders. The Vikings would be the ideal team to play, as the Lions dominated them last weekend. However, only time will tell what team the Lions play.
Washington Commanders
If the Washington Commanders beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then the Lions will play them in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The Commanders have one of the strongest offenses in the league. Jayden Daniels is an excellent quarterback who has taken the league by storm. The Commanders are one of the most explosive teams in the NFL with one of the best offensive coordinators, Kliff Kingsbury, on their side. This matchup would not be great for Lions fans.
Los Angeles Rams
If the Washington Commanders lose and the Rams beat the Vikings, the Rams will face the Lions in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Matthew Stafford and the Rams have had a mediocre season at best and barely won a terrible NFC West Division. On paper, they are not a big threat to the Lions. However, Matthew Stafford has played his best football against his former team throughout his career. Last year, in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, the Lions barely beat the Rams 24-23. This season, in Week One, the Lions barely beat the Rams 26-20 in overtime. Matthew Stafford wants to prove that he is better off without Detroit, which makes this a dangerous matchup.
Minnesota Vikings
If the Commanders lose and the Vikings win against the Rams, they will play the Lions. This matchup would be the most ideal for the Lions. The Lions beat the Vikings twice this season. The Lions won 31-29 in Week Seven and 31-9 in Week 18. They dominated the Vikings in the last game by shutting down Justin Jefferson and making Sam Darnold flustered. They should be able to shut down Justin Jefferson again, which makes them the easiest matchup for Detroit.
Regardless of who the Lions play, they have put themselves in a position to succeed. The best-case scenario is that the Lions play the Vikings. The worst-case scenario is that they play the Commanders. They will need to find a way to not underestimate their opponent. If they take their opponents seriously, they should be successful.
