DETROIT – The Detroit Lions have already clinched a playoff spot, but they don’t yet know their seed or who they will play first.
If the Lions get the No. 1 seed, they’ll get a first-round bye and then host a divisional round matchup. If they’re the No. 5 seed, they’ll have to go on the road to face the worst division winner.
Here’s a list of all the teams the Lions could face in their first playoff game this season.
Philadelphia Eagles
- Likelihood: Very unlikely.
Many believe the Lions and Eagles are on a collision course for an NFC Championship Game matchup. But they technically could meet much earlier in the playoffs.
Let’s say the Eagles lose their last two games and the Commanders win out. The Commanders would actually win the NFC East and knock the Eagles down to the top wild card spot.
If the Eagles beat the worst division winner in the wildcard round and the other two NFC wildcard teams lost, then the Lions would host the Eagles in the divisional round due to reseeding.
How that works: As the top seed, the Lions are guaranteed to play the worst team remaining after the first round, and “worst team” is determined by seeding.
So let’s say the Commanders get the No. 2 seed, the Rams get the No. 3 seed, and the Falcons get the No. 4 seed. If the Eagles upset the Falcons and the Commanders and Rams both won their games, the Lions would host the Eagles in the divisional round while the Commanders hosted the Rams.
This is extremely unlikely because it would require the Eagles to lose to the Cowboys and Giants at home the next two weeks. But it’s possible.
The Lions couldn’t play the Eagles in the wildcard round, even if the Vikings won the NFC North and dropped the Lions to the No. 5 seed. If the Eagles win the East, they’ll be a top-two seed, so they wouldn’t play the Lions.
Minnesota Vikings
- Likelihood: It’s not crazy.
Let’s say the Lions win the NFC North Division and get the No. 1 seed. That means the Vikings are either the No. 5 seed or the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs.
NOTE: If the Vikings lose their last two games and the Packers win their last three games, the Packers will get the No. 5 seed and the Vikings will get the No. 6 seed.
If the Vikings pulled off an “upset” in the wildcard round and the other two games went to division winners, then the Lions would face their division rivals for the third time this season.
It’s basically the same scenario as we discussed above with the Eagles, except Minnesota is far more likely to get a wildcard spot than the Eagles.
Green Bay Packers
- Likelihood: Seems fairly likely.
If the Lions get the No. 1 seed, it really feels like the the Packers are a likely divisional round opponent, as awful as that sounds.
For example, let’s just take the current NFC standings as they are. The first-round matchups would be Commanders-Eagles, Packers-Rams, and Vikings-Falcons.
All it would take for the Lions to play the Packers would be wins by the Eagles and Packers. That would guarantee the Packers as the worst remaining seed in the NFC for the divisional round, so they would head to Detroit.
Washington Commanders
- Likelihood: There’s a decent chance.
Imagine the same scenario as above, but instead of the Eagles winning, the Commanders pull off an upset.
If the No. 7 seed wins in the wildcard round, that team automatically plays the No. 1 overall seed in the divisional round. So the Commanders could definitely be a candidate to go to Ford Field if the Lions get a first-round bye.
Technically, the Commanders could still win the NFC East over the Eagles, but in that scenario, they would be the No. 2 seed and couldn’t possibly play the Lions in the first round.
Los Angeles Rams
- Likelihood: It could happen.
The most likely way for the Rams to be the Lions' first playoff opponent would be if the Lions lose the NFC North to the Vikings and end up as the No. 5 seed.
Then, if the Rams were the No. 4 seed as the worst division winner in the NFC, they would host the Lions in Los Angeles.
As if the Matthew Stafford rematch storyline hasn’t gotten tired enough, this would add yet another chapter.
It’s also possible that the Rams lose the division to the Seahawks and end up as the No. 6 or No. 7 seed. Then, all it would take is an upset in the wildcard round for Stafford to end up back at Ford Field for the divisional round.
Atlanta Falcons
- Likelihood: It could happen.
Right now, the Falcons are the No. 4 seed in the NFC, so they’re obviously a very realistic matchup if the Lions were to lose the division and end up with the No. 5 seed.
If the Lions have the No. 1 seed and the Falcons are No. 4, then the two teams would meet only if none of the wildcard teams win in the first round.
So, using the current standings, the Lions would play the Falcons in the divisional round if the Eagles beat the Commanders, the Rams beat the Packers, and the Falcons beat the Vikings in the wildcard round.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Likelihood: There’s a decent chance.
The Buccaneers are the only team in the NFC to have beaten the Lions so far. But they’re going to have to make up some ground to earn a rematch.
Right now, Tampa Bay is on the outside of the playoff picture despite boasting wins over both Detroit and Philadelphia.
If the Bucs do somehow slip into the playoffs, it will most likely be as the NFC South winner and No. 4 seed. That means the Lions could very well end up in Tampa Bay if they fall into a wildcard spot.
If the Bucs earn a wildcard spot, they would likely be the No. 7 seed, so it would only take a first-round upset for them to end up back in Ford Field. Working in their favor is a head-to-head win over the Commanders way back in Week 1.
Seattle Seahawks
- Likelihood: Not very likely.
The Seahawks are in a very precarious spot right now. They’re close to being eliminated completely from wildcard contention, as they can only catch the Packers if the Packers lose their final three games.
The division is still within reach, but it’s not going to be easy. The Seahawks are a game behind the Rams and already lost the home half of that head-to-head.
If the Seahawks can win their final two games -- including a Week 18 rematch on the road against the Rams -- they would either win the division outright (if the Rams lose to the Cardinals in Week 17) or force a tiebreaker (if the Rams beat the Cardinals).
Anyway, if the Seahawks do manage to get into the playoffs, there’s a chance they would be the No. 4 seed and could host the Lions, if the Lions are the No. 5 seed. They could also end up at Ford Field in the divisional round if all the home teams were to advance.
