The Detroit Lions are on their bye week, and it has already started off exceedingly well. One of their division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, got absolutely embarrassed on Thursday night, falling 37-10
to the Chargers in the second-worst loss of Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell era.
Now it’s time to look forward to the rest of the Week 8 games, and identify the best possible outcomes for the Lions—and what the NFC playoff race could look like if all the games went in Detroit’s favor.
It’s our Week 8 Detroit Lions Rooting Guide!
Dolphins (1-6) at Falcons (3-3) — 1 p.m. ET — CBS
Root for: Dolphins
The Falcons are a weird team, and it’s hard to know if they’re going to be true NFC contenders or not. A humiliating loss to the Dolphins, though, would be a huge hit to their confidence. And, remember, AFC over NFC, always.
Giants (2-5) at Eagles (5-2) — 1 p.m. ET — FOX (local game)
Root for: Giants
The Giants already shocked the Eagles a few weeks ago, but this game is in Philly and the Eagles are coming off a confidence-building win over the Vikings. Still, something feels off about the Eagles, and if they get swept by New York, the justified doubts about that team will only grow louder.
Bills (4-2) at Panthers (4-3) — 1 p.m. ET — FOX
Root for: Bills
AFC over NFC. I don’t think the Panthers are necessarily true contenders after winning three straight, but the less crowded the NFC playoff picture, the better.
Bears (4-2) at Ravens (1-5) — 1 p.m. ET — FOX
Root for: Ravens
Unfortunately, Lamar Jackson is not playing in this game, giving Chicago a decent chance to win this game. And with the Bengals, Giants, and Vikings on tap, the Bears have a legitimate chance to go on a bit of a run here. Already on a four-game winning streak, it’s time for Chicago to get handed a dose of reality. Hopefully Baltimore figured some things out during their bye week.
49ers (5-2) at Texans (2-4) — 1 p.m. ET — FOX
Root for: Texans
AFC over NFC. The 49ers are one of the few NFC contenders the Lions don’t play this year, so they need San Francisco to start tallying some Ls.
Buccaneers (5-2) at Saints (1-6) — 4:05 p.m. ET — FOX
Root for: Saints
Detroit took care of the Bucs last week in a statement win, and now it would be nice if Tampa developed a case of Honolulu Flu. It seems unlikely given how bad the Saints are, but one can hope.
Cowboys (3-3-1) at Broncos (5-2) — 4:25 p.m. ET — CBS
Root for: Broncos
AFC over NFC, and just about everyone over the Cowboys. Dallas seems to have gotten some mojo after a dominant win over the Commanders, but their defense is still very suspect. Hopefully the Broncos humble them again.
Packers (4-1-1) at Steelers (4-2) — 8:20 p.m. ET — NBC
Root for: Everyone on the Steelers but Aaron Rodgers
Let’s just hope the Steelers pick off Jordan Love for three pick sixes and win 21-0.
Commanders (3-4) at Chiefs (4-3) — 8:15 p.m. ET MONDAY — ESPN/ABC
Root for: Refs Chiefs
Another swallow-your-pride game. AFC over NFC, even if the Chiefs are annoying as hell. The Lions play the Commanders in a couple weeks, so this is also an opportunity to scout them.
NFC playoff standings if all games go Detroit’s way
Division winners
- Lions: 5-2
- Seahawks: 5-2
- Eagles: 5-3
- Buccaneers: 5-3
Wild Card (top three advance)
- Rams: 5-2
- 49ers: 5-3
- Packers: 4-2-1
- Bears: 4-3
- Panthers: 4-4
- Cowboys: 3-4-1
- Falcons: 3-4
- Vikings: 3-4
Detroit would jump all the way to first in the NFC after entering the week as the conference’s fifth seed. They currently hold the tiebreaker over the Seahawks due to a better record in conference games (2-1 vs. 2-2). Perhaps more importantly, they would create a little space between them and the non-playoff teams. Currently there are six 5-2 teams in the NFC, but with the ideal outcomes in Week 8, the number of teams with only two losses could be down to three teams (remember a tie counts as a half-loss). Unfortunately, two of the other best NFC contenders (Rams, Seahawks) are also on bye weeks.
