For the Detroit Lions, Week 9 may be where it all fell apart. With the conference's first-place Philadelphia Eagles on a bye, and the NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers facing a tough out against a deceptively competitive Carolina Panthers squad, it looked like the Lions' week. If they won, they would make some real headway and not only take control of the NFC North but maybe even get in the running for the number one seed come playoff time.
A seed that the Eagles currently have and one that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are chomping at the feet of. And as far as their division goes, a move to 6-2 would've had a higher win percentage than the Packers and would've been in a prime position to control the division heading into their rematch with the Cheeseheads come Week 13.
A Lions win and a Packers loss would've been the best-case scenario. Instead, what should've been a day of celebration became a team looking at the worst-case scenario possible for the day.
Sunday's Week 9 Results Make Lions' Loss vs. Vikings Even Uglier
The Lions didn't move to 6-2 but instead 5-3, suffering a brutal 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, a team that shouldn't be hanging with the Lions, assuming the Lions are a top-tier team. Minnesota got the improbable win thanks in part to quarterback J.J. McCarthy, a young and inexperienced quarterback who didn't always look like a good signal-caller against Detroit. Despite his shoddy play at times, he helped lead a hapless Vikings offense to get past a Lions defense that should be among the best in the league.
Instead, a guy with a handful of games under his belt led his team to victory against a top contender in the NFC. The loss and failure to capitalize were bad enough for the Detroit faithful, but the day just got worse.
Instead of just licking their wounds, the prideful Lions not only lost to an NFC North rival but also saw the Chicago Bears win a thriller against the Cincinnati Bengals. With that win, the Bears are now right behind the Lions in the division and the playoffs, waiting for them to stumble again.
Not to mention, the aforementioned Panthers getting their win also made things harder for the Lions. Thanks to all this movement, the Lions are now 7th in the NFC standings as of Sunday evening, with the 4-4 Vikings, the 5-3 Panthers, and the 5-3 Bears nipping at the heels of the Lions. This should've been a week where the Lions pounced for their share of the NFC North and number one seed in the conference, but instead, the Lions are looking over their shoulder like it's a horror movie, running away for dear life against some murderous monster.
While many would look at the Eagles and Lions and note that they're divided by just one loss, people should be sounding some alarms. Save for the New York Giants, every other team the Lions have to face the rest of the way is currently in contention for the playoffs. Whatever cupcake teams they had on their schedule, they've already faced.
With how dense the NFC is this season, five losses may keep you from making the postseason. Considering the Lions have to face the Bears, Packers, Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, and Pittsburgh Steelers down the stretch, two or more losses are possible. The Lions may watch their shot at the postseason get away from them if they're not careful.