The Detroit Lions are poised to win their first-ever NFC North division crown. The outcomes around the division in Week 15 made it almost a certainty.
Well, technically not a mathematical certainty. There is still a pathway to the Lions not capturing the divisional crown. But after Minnesota and Green Bay each lost over the weekend, it feels like quite a longshot that any outcome other than the Lions winning the division will happen.
Detroit’s dominant win over Denver elevated the Lions to 10-4. The Vikings lost to the Bengals earlier on Saturday, dropping them to 7-7. Green Bay was eliminated from the divisional race when Detroit won, but the Packers getting run by the Buccaneers put a capstone on Green Bay’s tomb. The Packers are 6-8. Chicago lost in heartbreaking fashion in Cleveland on Sunday to fall to 5-9.
The Lions and Vikings meet in Week 16 and also in Week 18. For the Vikings to win the division, they need to win all three of their remaining games and also have the Lions lose all three of Detroit’s games. When they’re not facing each other, the Vikings play the Packers in Week 17, and the Lions visit the Cowboys. Detroit is an early road favorite for the Week 16 game in Minnesota.
Minnesota has lost three of its last four games, with the win a 3-0 snoozer over the Raiders in Week 14. The Vikings and Packers are both still very much alive in the NFC wild card race.