Not only does the loss on Thursday keep the Lions out of the playoffs,
it also puts Detroit in last place in the NFC North.
With the loss to the Vikings on Thursday, the Lions are officially eliminated
from playoff contention. The Detroit Lions had a dream regular season in 2024, going 15-2 and
earning the top seed in the playoffs, but the 2025 season hasn’t been as smooth.
The Lions were flagged for offensive pass interference on the game’s final
play, erasing a touchdown lateraled to quarterback Jared Goff.
If the Lions can win out and the Green Bay Packers drop their final two games, Detroit can still sneak into the playoffs.
But a huge tackle by Daniel Thomas and a sack from Aidan Hutchinson on third down boots the

Vikings out of field-goal range and Detroit takes back over on offense.
Detroit will need to overcome injuries and some poor performances
the last few weeks to try and keep playoff dreams alive for at least another few days.
Lions defense will start on the field against Max Brosmer and the Minnesota offense.
Minnesota gets moving on offense the second time around, with Max Brosmer picking up a key third down with his legs.
Though Pro Football Focus grades are hardly a be-all, end-all, they did
show a significant downturn for Detroit’s offensive line.
But Mahogany missed time, too, sending little-used backup Kayode Awosika to guard.
Johnson, of course, had the added benefit of one of the NFL’s
best offensive lines. Johnson’s attack was the most efficient, while Campbell’s has produced more big plays —
though it’s too small of a sample size to draw any significant conclusions.
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