The Detroit Lions have one goal in mind for the final two weeks of the regular season. Head coach Dan Campbell and his players want to win the NFC North title and also come away with the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.
The Lions and the Minnesota Vikings are tied for the pole position as both teams have 13-2 records. Technically, the Lions are in first place because they were victorious in the first game between the two teams.
The division title and No. 1 seed could come down to the final game of the season when the Lions host the Vikings. However, if the Vikings win their Week 17 game at home against the Green Bay Packers, it will render Detroit’s Monday night game against the San Francisco 49ers relatively meaningless. Whether they win or lose that game, they could still take both the division title and the No. 1 seed if they win the season finale.
Campbell said that his team would not take its foot off the gas pedal no matter the circumstances.
“I’ll make this easy for everybody that way all the critics can jump out and start attacking, but that way you don’t have to debate them anymore,” the head coach said.
“We’re bringing everything we got to this game and we are playing, I don’t care what it looks like and where it’s at and who’s this, who’s that. We’re going out to play and win this game, out on the West Coast. So there you go.”
In addition to maintaining full momentum for their work during the season, Campbell and the Lions would love to add to the 49ers pain this season. The Lions met the 49ers in the NFC title game a year ago, and Detroit nearly earned a victory in that game that would have allowed them to go to the first Super Bowl in team history. Instead, the 49ers registered a 34-31 triumph.
The Lions have one of the strongest offensive teams in the league as they are led by quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Goff is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league. He has completed 337 of 472 passes for 4,095 yards with 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing 71.4 percent of his passes for a passer rating of 112.2.
St. Brown understands how to get open, and he is at his best when the game is on the line. He has 101 receptions for 1,126 yards with 11 touchdown and 13 receptions of 20 yards or more.
