The spirit is alive in Detroit as the Lions clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in franchise history after defeating the Minnesota Vikings Sunday night 31-9.

Here’s who the Detroit Lions will face in their first playoff game in every possible combination of outcomes for the three matchups in the NFC wildcard round.

Here’s when the Detroit Lions will play their first playoff game if they lose to the Vikings tonight.

The Detroit Lions will walk out of their game with the Vikings with either the No. 1 seed in the NFC -- or the No. 5 seed.

The road to the Super Bowl in the NFC will go through Motown.

Nine Baltimore Ravens, including two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, were selected for the Pro Bowl Games.

The NFC’s No. 1 seed, two division titles and two playoff spots are on the line in Week 18.

Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and the Detroit Lions tuned up for their Week 18 division showdown against Minnesota by beating the San Francisco 49ers 40-34.

The NFL’s regular season is over after an eventful Week 18 that saw the Detroit Lions capture the No. 1 seed in the NFC while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos secured their places in the postseason field.

The NFC’s No. 1 seed will come down to the final game of the regular season when the Detroit Lions host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday night.

Here’s every way the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Minnesota Vikings can each get the No. 1 seed in NFC playoffs.

The Detroit Lions' game against the 49ers next week might not even matter anymore, or it could end up meaning everything.

Which team would get the No. 1 seed in the NFC if the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles both win their final three games of the season?

Do the Detroit Lions still automatically get the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff bracket if they win their final three games?

Do the Detroit Lions still automatically get the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff bracket if they win their final three games?

How soon can the Detroit Lions officially clinch a playoff spot, and what needs to happen?

Who will get the No. 1 seed and first-round bye in the playoffs if the Detroit Lions tie with the Philadelphia Eagles for the best record in the NFC?

Sam Darnold passed for 268 yards and two touchdowns against his former team, including a 97-yard strike in the second quarter to Justin Jefferson, and an attacking defense again fueled the Minnesota Vikings in a 23-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

The city of Detroit has issued a game plan for parking and tailgating ahead of the Lions’ season opener inside Ford Field.

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell likes the options he has in the secondary, shifting Brian Branch to safety and bolstering the group with rookie cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw, along with veteran Carlton Davis.

Detroit Lions kicker Michael Badgley will miss the season with a significant injury, leaving United Football League sensation Jake Bates as the front-runner for the job.

The Detroit Lions will induct Calvin Johnson into the Pride of the Lions during a Monday Night Football game at Ford Field.

The Detroit Lions have lost one day of organized offseason workouts after breaking rules relating to on-field contact during a practice last month.

The Detroit Lions have invested in their future, keeping a pair of All-Pro players under contract for the next five seasons.

It’s been quite the season for the Detroit Lions.

The Detroit Lions are just one win away from the first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

The San Francisco 49ers are back in a familiar spot facing a Detroit Lions team new to this stage.

The New York Post called the Detroit Lions "The Real America's Team" after their win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Why do you think so many people across the country are now rooting for the Lions?

As we count down to the NFC title game, a lifelong Detroit Lions fan has quite a story to tell, and it starts in a locker room back in 1957.

There has been a lot more blue and silver north of the Mackinac Bridge recently.

The most taxing part of getting to the precipice of the Super Bowl only to fall short might be the long journey just to return to that stage for another shot.

Most Detroiters are trying to figure out if they’re in Dream Land or reality.

Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes and the Detroit Lions beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 in a divisional-round playoff game, lifting the long-suffering franchise into the NFC championship for the first time in 32 years and just the second time in franchise history.

Christian McCaffrey scored his second touchdown on a 6-yard run with 1:07 to play, and the San Francisco 49ers mounted their first second-half comeback of the season to beat the Green Bay Packers 24-21 in a divisional-round playoff game.

San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel left Saturday night’s playoff game against the Green Bay Packers with a shoulder injury.

Kyle Juszczyk remembers the different feel when he took the field for the first time in the playoff rivalry between his San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers.

Three of the NFL’s heavyweights have made it to the sport’s championship weekend.

Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa were selected to their first Pro Bowl as the starting quarterbacks for their respective conferences.

Matthew Stafford knows more than most about what it’s like to be on the receiving end of a questionable call by refs during a Lions-Cowboys game.

In a season when much of the NFL is clustered around break even, the AFC can boast a record number of winning teams headed into Week 15 while NFC has the most teams ever on the losing side.

The Detroit Lions are heading into Week 14 with a solid lead in the division and eyes on NFC playoff seeding, so which other teams should fans root for?

The Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers haven’t let last season’s postseason disappointment become a hangover in 2023.

It sounds crazy to talk about the Detroit Lions as the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC, but as they head into the bye week just one game behind the Eagles, there’s no denying it’s a possibility.

You know the Detroit Lions have earned some national attention when Stephen A. Smith starts talking about them, and that’s exactly what happened Monday on ESPN.

Flag football and cricket were among five sports that took their next step toward inevitably being added to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The first-place Detroit Lions are heading to Tampa Bay this weekend to take on the first-place Buccaneers in a game that could have major ramifications for NFC playoff seeding.

We’re almost a quarter of the way through the NFL season, and not only do the Detroit Lions look like the clear favorite to win their division, they might be one of the best teams in the conference.

The AFC came into the season with the lion’s share of the top quarterbacks and Super Bowl contenders led by passers like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow.

The Detroit Lions inserted themselves firmly into the playoff discussion with their Week 1 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, but where exactly do they fit into the fold in the NFC?

The Detroit Lions are the most popular pick to go to the Super Bowl from the NFC, according to BetMGM.

It’s been 25 years since both NFL conference championship games were this evenly matched from an oddsmakers standpoint.

For Kyle Shanahan, the chance to coach the San Francisco 49ers against the Dallas Cowboys in a playoff game is a throwback to when that rivalry was the biggest in football.

The Detroit Lions are now legitimate playoff contenders after winning their sixth game in seven weeks and getting back to .500.

The Detroit Lions have won five of their last six games, and that’s put them right on the edge of the playoff race.

When the Lions started the season 1-6, the only rankings fans were thinking about was the NFL draft order for next spring.

The NFL is replacing the Pro Bowl with weeklong skills competitions and a flag football game.

Alvin Kamara, a star running back for the New Orleans Saints, was arrested in Las Vegas over the weekend during the NFL’s Pro Bowl festivities.

After playing in the Pro Bowl on Sunday, Saints running back Alvin Kamara was arrested and accused of beating someone the night before in a Las Vegas nightclub.

The Chargers’ Justin Herbert hit Baltimore’s Mark Andrews with two touchdown passes to leading the AFC to a 41-35 victory over the NFC in the return of the Pro Bowl.

If anyone has an appreciation for the long winding road the Cincinnati Bengals have taken to their first Super Bowl in 33 years, it is Andrew Whitworth.

Matthew Stafford is heading to his first Super Bowl after the Los Angeles Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game.

Aaron Donald is firmly in conversations about the top pass rushers in NFL history.

When the San Francisco 49ers placed the franchise tag on Robbie Gould three years ago, the kicker had a decision to make.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he can’t envision a scenario in which he comes out of retirement once he ends his playing career.

Robbie Gould continued his playoff perfection and moved the San Francisco 49ers one step away from their second Super Bowl appearance in three seasons.

Kyle Shanahan was a teenager watching on the sideline when the heated playoff rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers reached a fever pitch with three straight NFC title game matchups.

The Las Vegas Raiders have beaten the Los Angeles Chargers on a field goal on the final play of overtime in a playoffs-or-bust finale that would have put both teams in the playoffs if it had ended in a tie.

Dak Prescott threw a career-high five touchdown passes against Philadelphia Eagles backups, Cedrick Wilson and Dalton Schultz each had two scoring catches and the Dallas Cowboys kept their slim hopes for a No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs alive with a 51-26 victory.

Christie has joined the board of directors of the New York Mets. His son Andrew has worked for the team since 2018 and is the Mets' coordinator of international scouting. Chris Christie has joined the board of directors of the New York Mets. Jeanne Melino also joined the Mets board under new owner Steve Cohen, and New York said Friday she will be hired by the team as senior vice president of the Amazin’ Mets Foundation. The Mets' board also includes chairman emeritus Fred Wilpon and vice chairman Andrew Cohen, who is not related to Steve.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting during NFL football practice, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021 in Tampa, Fla. (Kyle Zedaker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers via AP)Tampa Bay Buccaneer cornerback and Macomb Township native Sean Murphy-Bunting is one win away from a Super Bowl championship because he always bet on himself. Sean Murphy-Bunting met with new head coach John Bonemego, who offered him a gray shirt on the spot. When he has his mind set on something, he works hard at it,” said Kim Murphy-Bunting. Kim Murphy-Bunting will be in the stand as always, as his biggest fan.

(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)TAMPA, Fla. – Like most NFL cornerbacks, Carlton Davis plays with a short-term memory but never forgets a bad performance. The third-year pro and the rest of Tampa Bay’s young secondary was dominated by Tyreek Hill during the regular season and are eager to redeem themselves against the speedy Kansas City Chiefs receiver in the Super Bowl. Hill had 13 receptions for 269 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-24 victory over the Bucs on Nov. 29. “I play defensive back in the NFL, so you’re going to have your share of losses. I’m going to continue to be a dog and go out there and give it my all,” Davis said.

Kansas City and Tampa Bay have several starters, including some notable pass catchers, scheduled to become free agents next month. So the Super Bowl between the Chiefs and Buccaneers will serve as a farewell for several players with their current team. Brown signed a one-year, $1.6 million contract with Tampa in late October and has been a model citizen since. He has 45 receptions for 623 yards and seven touchdowns after signing a one-year, $9 million deal. He turned 34 last month and might be willing to sign another one-year deal to stay in Tampa.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) walks off the field after the NFC championship NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers said he's not sure what his future holds in Green Bay. Green Bay allowed a total of 16 sacks in its other 16 games. The NFC championship game reflected the occasional inconsistency of Green Bay’s defense under Pettine. Green Bay’s most notable flaw during its seven-game streak was its occasional tendency to have a breakdown on special teams.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Scott Miller catches a 39-yard touchdown pass against Green Bay Packers' Kevin King during the first half of the NFC championship NFL football game in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)GREEN BAY, Wis. – Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ road magic have them heading home to the Super Bowl, the first team to play in one on their home field. Brady owns six Super Bowl rings with New England and now heads to his 10th NFL championship game with his new team. The Bucs (14-5) earned their franchise-record eighth consecutive road victory to reach the Super Bowl for the first time since their 2002 championship season. Tampa Bay then ran out the clock on the Packers (14-4).

Green Bay Packers' Aaron Jones (33) fumbles after being hit by Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Jordan Whitehead (33) during the second half of the NFC championship NFL football game in Green Bay, Wis., Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay running back Aaron Jones left Sunday’s NFC championship game early in the third quarter with a chest injury suffered when he was tackled and fumbled going to the ground on a hit by Tampa Bay safety Jordan Whitehead. Jones’ fumble set up Tom Brady’s third touchdown of the day, putting Tampa Bay up 28-10. The Bucs announced Whitehead is out, leaving them with a pair of backup safeties in the lineup. Packers defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster was carted to the locker room midway through the third quarter with his ankle injury.

The Packers defeated the Rams 32-18 to advance to the NFC championship game. When Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers (14-3) host Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-5) in the NFC championship game Sunday, it will be just the fourth time they’ve squared off as starting quarterbacks, and first in the playoffs. “I’m excited about the opportunity to play against him one more time.”The Bucs trounced the Packers 38-10 in Tampa on Oct. 18. A win at Lambeau Field clinches their first Super Bowl berth since their 2002 championship season. “We play the Packers in the NFC championship game.

Rodgers threw two touchdown passes and also ran for a score as the top-seeded Green Bay Packers beat the Los Angeles Rams 32-18 in an NFC divisional playoff game Saturday. The Packers didn't allow any sacks despite playing without injured All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari, while Green Bay sacked Jared Goff four times. Rodgers called the Packers' offensive linemen “the stars of the game tonight.”“Definitely not happy,” Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. For Green Bay, Dillon injured his quadriceps when he fumbled. UP NEXTThe Rams' season is over.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur and Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay say their friendship and shared history shouldn't have much of an impact on their teams’ upcoming NFC divisional playoff matchup. The top-seeded Packers (13-3) host the Rams (11-6) on Saturday with an NFC championship game berth at stake. San Francisco’s head coach is Kyle Shanahan, who worked at Washington with Matt LaFleur and McVay from 2010-13. They reunited in 2017 when McVay became the Rams’ head coach and hired LaFleur. One year later, he became the Packers’ head coach.

(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)The NFC playoff field features the usual cast of quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Russell Wilson. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 45, 31-25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Feb. 6, 2011, at Arlington, Texas. Last Lombardi: Super Bowl 48, 43-8 over the Denver Broncos on Feb. 2, 2014, at East Rutherford, N.J. Last year: No. The Bears’ leading tackler left in the first quarter of the Green Bay game with an elbow injury. DBs Buster Skrine, rookie Jaylon Johnson and Deon Bush missed the loss to Green Bay.

___7:07 p.m.Derrick Henry has become the eighth man in NFL history to run for at least 2,000 yards in a single season. Henry came into Sunday’s regular season finale needing 223 yards rushing to become the second man in franchise history to reach 2,000. Henry came in with 1,777 yards rushing this season, and he now is 88 yards away from becoming the eighth man in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards. The Titans lead Houston 17-9 at halftime with NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry running for 113 yards and a touchdown in the first half. The Green Bay Packers have set an NFL season record for second-quarter points.

(AP Photo/Mark Tenally)The Latest on Week 16 in the NFL (all times EST):___8 p.m.For the first time since 2014 there will be an NFL playoff team with a losing record. The winner will remain alive in the NFC East playoff race if Washington loses to Carolina. ___6:05 p.m.Washington is well on the way to blowing its first chance to clinch the NFC East. ___6 p.m.Eleven teams in the NFC are still harboring hopes of making a playoff run with Week 16 winding down. 1 seed in the NFC with a win Sunday night against the Titans and a Seattle loss or tie.

The Chiefs took a 30-10 lead against Miami and held on for a 33-27 victory. The Chiefs clinched their fifth straight AFC West title with the victory and are the unanimous No. “Is there anybody in the NFC that can beat them?”And the surging Buffalo Bills also moved up two places to No. The Packers, who have clinched the NFC North, will host the Carolina Panthers and the Bills will head to Denver to take on the Broncos. The Saints will try to avoid a two-game skid as they host the Chiefs on Sunday.

(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)NEW YORK – As the NFC's only 5-0 team, the Seattle Seahawks had a quiet week on a bye. However, the Seahawks didn't lose any ground and maintained the top spot in the latest AP Pro32 poll. The Seahawks received nine of 12 first-place votes for 377 points in balloting Tuesday by media members who regularly cover the NFL. The Chiefs earned two first-place votes for 366 points, while the loss dropped the Bills one spot to No. 3 and the Tennessee Titans, the league's other 5-0 team, received the remaining first-place vote and gained two places to No.