DETROIT – If the Detroit Lions can beat the Buccaneers on Sunday, they will play the No. 1 San Francisco 49ers with a spot in the Super Bowl on the line.
Detroit was one of four teams that spent the entire season near the top of the NFC, along with San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Dallas.
Two of those teams made early playoff exits, but if the Lions survive a test against the Buccaneers on Sunday, they’ll have to hit the road and beat the best of them all to get to the sport’s biggest stage.
After winning their first playoff game in three decades last weekend against the Los Angeles Rams, the No. 3 Lions get to host the divisional round at Ford Field thanks to a loss by the No. 2 Cowboys.
Their opponent: A Buccaneers team they dominated back in Week 6, even without the likes of Brian Branch, Jonah Jackson, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery (for most of the game).
Tampa Bay has gotten better, but the Lions are favored to win by nearly a touchdown. If they can take care of business, they’ll be just one win away from playing on the sport’s biggest stage.
And they’ll have to hit the road for the first time this postseason.
After upsetting Dallas in the first round, the Green Bay Packers went into San Francisco and nearly defeated the No. 1 team in the NFC. But the 49ers scored a touchdown with 1:07 remaining to punch their own ticket to the conference championship game.
So the NFC could come down to everybody’s favorite to win the conference and a team that’s never been to a Super Bowl. The 49ers would be heavy favorites, but after winning the NFC North and a home playoff game for the first time in decades, the Lions would have nothing to lose.
Meanwhile, in the AFC, the No. 1 Ravens will host the winner of the No. 3 Chiefs and No. 2 Bills in the conference championship game.
