The Lions nearly faced the prospect of starting the playoffs on the road after a historic regular season, but with a win over the Vikings in Week 18, they secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed. As a result, Detroit now holds home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, with the road to the Super Bowl in the conference going through Ford Field.
While the other six NFC playoff teams battle it out during wild-card weekend, the Lions can sit back and wait to see who they will face in the divisional round. Their opponent won’t be known until the end of the weekend, depending on the outcomes of other games.
Could a rematch with an NFC North rival be in the cards for Detroit? Let’s take a look at the potential teams the Lions could face in their playoff opener.
Who Will the Lions Face Next?
Detroit will play the lowest remaining seed from the NFC in the divisional round, meaning there are four possible opponents as the weekend kicks off.
No. 4 Los Angeles Rams
The Rams need a win over the Vikings and losses by both the Commanders and Packers to earn a rematch with the Lions. Los Angeles faced Detroit at Ford Field in the wild-card round last season, where Matthew Stafford’s team lost a tight battle against his former squad. If the Rams make it through, they’ll be underdogs, but with a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Stafford, anything is possible.
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are in a similar situation to the Rams, needing a win and losses from the Commanders and Packers to set up a third matchup with the Lions. Two of Minnesota’s three losses this season came at the hands of Detroit, including a dominant 31-9 defeat in Week 18. After the game, Dan Campbell told Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell that he expected to see Minnesota again in two weeks. If the right results fall into place, that prediction could come true.
No. 6 Washington Commanders
The Commanders would need to defeat the Buccaneers and hope the Packers lose to the Eagles to face the Lions. Washington is entering the playoffs with momentum after an impressive 12-win season, and a victory over Tampa Bay would set up a trip to Detroit, assuming Green Bay doesn’t pull off an upset.
No. 7 Green Bay Packers
As the lowest-seeded NFC team, the Packers simply need to defeat the Eagles to set up a third matchup with the Lions. Green Bay is a clear underdog heading into Philadelphia after losing to the Eagles in Brazil in Week 1, but after two regular-season losses to Detroit, the chance to head to Ford Field and avenge those defeats could be highly appealing for Matt LaFleur’s squad.