Thursday night's game between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions appears to just be another NFC North battle, but it holds extra significance for the Dan Campbell-led team.
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According to the NFL, the Detroit Lions can clinch their spot in the playoffs simply by defeating the Green Bay Packers. They would move to 12-1 with the win while dropping the Packers to 9-4, and they would clinch their first consecutive playoff appearances since 1994-95.
The Lions have other playoff-clinching scenarios for Week 14, all of which rely on other teams. For example, the Lions could also clinch a spot in the playoffs if the Falcons lose to the Vikings while the Seahawks and Cardinals tie. Another scenario requires the Falcons and Rams to both lose their games and the Eagles to win their game against the Panthers.
The Eagles and Vikings are two other teams that can clinch spots in the playoffs this weekend. They just have more complicated scenarios.
The easiest path for the Vikings is to beat the Falcons and have the Seahawks and Cardinals tie. They can also clinch a spot with a win, a Cardinals loss, and a Rams loss or tie.
The other two scenarios include the Vikings tying the Falcons as Kirk Cousins returns to face his former team. These scenarios require multiple teams to lose and/or tie.
The Eagles have 10 playoff-clinching scenarios, all of which are far more complicated than the Lions scenarios. For example, the easiest path to the playoffs is for the Eagles to beat the Panthers while the Falcons lose to the Vikings and the Seahawks and Rams tie.
Only two teams have clinched spots in the playoffs. The Bills secured their spot by beating the 49ers on a snowy Sunday night. This win clinched the AFC East title for the fifth consecutive season.
The Chiefs clinched their spot by beating the Raiders on Black Friday. The reigning Super Bowl champs were the first team to lock up a return to the playoffs.
While the Chiefs are locked into the playoffs, they still have something else to play for this weekend. If the Andy Reid-led team beats the Chargers, they will win the AFC West.
