NFC North

The Detroit Lions had a 30-year gap separating their previous two division title wins, but that won't be the case this time around.

The Lions are NFC North champions for the second straight year after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 31-9 on Sunday Night Football.

The NFC runs through the Motor City 👊 #NFLPlayoffs | @Lions pic.twitter.com/1ng2olP16V

— NFL (@NFL) January 6, 2025

THE LIONS WIN THE NFC NORTH AND SECURE THE NO. 1 SEED 💪 pic.twitter.com/TDF8YgIVtF

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 6, 2025

Here's a look at the latest playoff matchups and NFL standings after the Lions claimed the NFC North crown.

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AFC Playoff Bracket

No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs (bye)

No. 7 Denver Broncos at No. 2 Buffalo Bills

No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 3 Baltimore Ravens

No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 4 Houston Texans

NFC Playoff Bracket

No. 1 Detroit Lions (bye)

No. 7 Green Bay Packers at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles

No. 6 Washington Commanders at No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

No. 5 Minnesota Vikings at No. 4 Los Angeles Rams

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AFC Playoff Standings

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 15-2

2. Buffalo Bills: 13-4

3. Baltimore Ravens: 12-5

4. Houston Texans: 10-7

5. Los Angeles Chargers: 11-6

6. Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-7

7. Denver Broncos: 10-7

-------PLAYOFF LINE-------

8. Cincinnati Bengals: 9-8

9. Indianapolis Colts: 8-9

10. Miami Dolphins: 8-9

11. New York Jets: 5-12

12. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-13

13. New England Patriots: 4-13

14. Las Vegas Raiders: 4-13

15. Cleveland Browns: 3-14

16. Tennessee Titans: 3-14

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NFC Playoff Standings

1. Detroit Lions: 15-2

2. Philadelphia Eagles: 14-3

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 10-7

4. Los Angeles Rams: 10-7

5. Minnesota Vikings: 14-3

6. Washington Commanders: 12-5

7. Green Bay Packers: 11-6

-------PLAYOFF LINE-------

8. Seattle Seahawks: 10-7

9. Atlanta Falcons: 8-9

10. Arizona Cardinals: 8-9

11. Dallas Cowboys: 7-10

12. San Francisco 49ers: 6-11

13. Chicago Bears: 5-12

14. Carolina Panthers: 5-12

15. New Orleans Saints: 5-12

16. New York Giants: 3-14

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It didn't take long for the Lions to establish themselves as the favorites to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX. After a four-point loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, the team rattled off 11 straight victories, most of them in dominating fashion.

Entering Week 18, Detroit led the NFL with 33.3 points per game and ranked ninth with 20.8 points allowed per game. The team's +222 point differential is far and away the best mark in the league, with the Philadelphia Eagles ranking second at +160.

Veteran quarterback Jared Goff's steady play has been a driving force for the Lions' success this year. In 17 games, he threw for 4,629 yards, 37 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Second-year running back Jahmyr Gibbs also has enjoyed a breakout season with 1,412 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns plus four receiving scores

Perhaps even more impressively, the Lions have been able to overcome key injuries on defense to still rank as one of the best units in the league. Detroit has held eight teams to under 20 points this year.

The Lions' stellar 2024 season is the fulfillment of the vision head coach Dan Campbell set when he was hired in 2021. Detroit has a strong culture that reflects Campbell's confident attitude, and the team appears poised for success for years to come.

For now, the Lions are focused on achieving their goal of winning their first Super Bowl title in franchise history. Winning the NFC North is just another step for Detroit on its path toward immortality.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love will play against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round despite suffering an injury to his throwing elbow on Sunday, according to head coach Matt LaFleur.

Love said after the Packers' Week 18 loss to the Chicago Bears that he lost feeling in his throwing hand after suffering the injury in the second quarter.

Matt LaFleur says Jordan Love will be good to go against the Eagles next weekend.

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) January 5, 2025

Jordan Love said he lost feeling in his throwing hand after falling on his arm. Still doesn’t feel 100% right now.

Asked if he feels good about his chances to play in Philadelphia, he says:

“Yes.” pic.twitter.com/kpoCCVtXrM

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) January 5, 2025

LaFleur said after the game that Love was held out for the second half of Sunday's game as a precaution, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Love told reporters that his hand was still numb during the postgame press conference, per CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.

The Packers quarterback has struggled with poor injury luck this season after starting all 17 games for the Packers during his first campaign as QB1 in 2023.

He sat out two games after suffering an MCL sprain late in a Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Love then suffered a groin injury that sidelined him for the second half of a Week 8 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

When available Love has led the Packers to a 9-5 mark, competing 63.2 percent of his passes for 3,320 yards and 25 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

He had gone 7-of-12 for 69 yards against the Bears at the time of his injury.

Love's availability going forward will be key to the Packers' hopes of advancing past the divisional round for the first time in four seasons. If he is forced to miss any time, Green Bay will turn to backup Malik Willis.

Willis, who stepped in against the Bears following Love's injury, has appeared in seven games for the Packers this season. He led Green Bay to wins in two starts against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 and the Tennessee Titans in Week 3.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel have dominated headlines as coaching candidates in the NFL, and the Chicago Bears have been connected to both.

Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported Sunday that Chicago is interested in the top candidates after firing Matt Eberflus during the 2024 campaign:

Is your team about to make a change at head coach? @jjones9 has the latest on whose seat is the hottest pic.twitter.com/4pk4UnFdxd

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 5, 2025

This comes after general manager Ryan Poles told ESPN 1000's Bears pregame show the team will interview current interim coach Thomas Brown for the position as well.

"He will get an interview, and I'm excited to hear his thoughts," Poles said of Brown. "Because he's been here. He's been here, he's seen and reflected just like we have on the past and how we got to this and why were the results, the results. So I'm excited to hear from his side on how we got here and how he would fix it."

Brown has made his way up the ranks this season, which started with him as the passing game coordinator and ends Sunday with him filling the role of interim head coach.

Chicago promoted him to interim offensive coordinator when it fired Shane Waldron and interim head coach after it fired Eberflus. However, the team is also 0-4 during Brown's tenure as the interim head coach, which could impact his chances for the full-time job.

As for Vrabel and Johnson, they would represent two distinctly different approaches for the Bears.

On the one hand is Johnson, who is someone with an offensive background but no experience as an NFL head coach. On the other hand is Vrabel, who has a defensive background and extensive experience as a head coach of the Titans for six seasons from 2018 through 2023.

Vrabel went 54-45 overall and made the playoffs three times during that six-year span. He even reached the AFC Championship Game with Ryan Tannehill as his quarterback during the 2019 campaign and is someone who could overachieve with a roster that may not stack up to the best in the league.

Yet Chicago's long-term fortunes will likely rest on whether Caleb Williams lives up to expectations as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft.

This is an organization that has long searched for a franchise quarterback, and its inability to find one is a major reason it is looking for its fifth head coach since 2012. Giving Williams the best chance to become that franchise quarterback seems to be the best long-term approach, and that likely means bringing in an offensive-minded coach.

Johnson, who is in his third season as the offensive coordinator of the Lions, is just that.

Detroit reached the NFC Championship Game last season and will be the NFC's No. 1 seed in this season's playoffs if it defeats the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Johnson's offensive innovation is a major reason for the success and has surely caught the eye of the NFC North rival Bears.

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is expected to be a "top candidate" for the head coaching positions with both the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints, per CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones.

Glenn, who played as a defensive back in the NFL from 1994-2008, spent the majority of his career with the New York Jets before wrapping up his playing days with the New Orleans Saints.

Along with Glenn, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is also expected to be a top candidate for a head coaching role in the upcoming job cycle, per Jones. However, when the two can interview for positions depends on the outcome of the Lions' Sunday night game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The winner between the two 14-2 teams will secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC, while the loser will drop to the No. 5 seed. If the Lions win, Glenn and Johnson can conduct interviews virtually during the bye week, per Jones. If they lose, they will have to play in next weekend's wild-card game and will not be available for interviews until Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Before the Jets hired Robert Saleh in 2021, the team interviewed Glenn when he was the Saints' defensive backs coach, according to Jones. Now, it looks like the two may cross paths once again.

Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver may be exactly what the Chicago Bears are looking for.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that the Bears are doing "serious homework" on Weaver and that his work with Maimi makes him an intriguing candidate.

"Sources from both the Ravens — where Weaver spent three seasons — and the Dolphins have nothing but praise for his leadership qualities," Russini wrote. "Currently, the Dolphins rank third in the NFL in total defense — the first time in 22 years they've been this high (they ranked third in 2002 as well). Players have a lot of respect for the 43-year-old Weaver, describing him as "high energy," "emotionally intelligent," and someone who holds players accountable."

Russini also reported that Weaver's extensive experience could make him a desirable candidate in this year's coaching cycle more broadly:

While we might not have a one-size-fits-all definition of the "leader of men" the Bears say they are looking for, Weaver seems to fit the bill. Weaver's coaching career started as a defensive line coach with the Bills, Browns, and Texans before he was promoted to defensive coordinator with the Texans in 2020, when Romeo Crennel was promoted to associate head coach. That season didn't go as planned for Houston, leading to a coaching staff overhaul. But Weaver's path didn't stop there. He moved to Baltimore, where he became the defensive line coach and run game coordinator. In 2022, he dropped the run game coordinator title and was promoted to associate head coach. He interviewed for the Commanders' head-coaching position last year and was considered a finalist. Many people around the league believe this is the year Weaver will land the big job.

This news comes after Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported that Bears owner George McCaskey will be "hands-off" in the team's search and that general manager Ryan Poles will be the person who runs the show.

"George wants Ryan to run this," a source told Jones. "(Bears president) Kevin (Warren) will get what he needs to keep him involved but it's Ryan's decision, and Ryan's running point. Philosophically George's view is football stays football. Even though the reporting structure is Ryan going to Kevin, George wants football people making football decisions."

Weaver was a second-round pick in 2002 and played seven NFL seasons. He began his coaching career at the University of Florida and has worked for the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens prior to landing his position with the Dolphins.

This is his second stint as a defensive coordinator and he has helped the Dolphins become one of the top defenses in the league. Chicago, sitting at 4-12, ranks 25th in total defense entering Week 18.

While a major responsibility of the next head coach will be developing quarterback Caleb Williams, improving the performance of the defense will be vital too. With Weaver's experience and the Dolphins' recent performance, he may be the guy the Bears need.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander is being placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for the next four games as the Packers prepare for their playoff run, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

The 27-year-old recently underwent a knee scope while managing a PCL sprain and could potentially return for the Super Bowl if the Packers advance that far, according to Rapoport.

The former 18th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has recorded 15 solo tackles this season, along with two interceptions and seven passes defended.

PICK 6!

Jaire Alexander high steps his way into the end zone for the @Packers TD!

📺: #GBvsTEN – Sunday on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/YcSr1WQaQI

— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024

Alexander initially injured his knee in Week 8 during the closing moments of Green Bay's 30-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He returned three weeks later, playing just 10 snaps during the Packers' game against the Chicago Bears. Alexander has not played since that Nov. 17 matchup.

According to Packers.com's Wes Hodkiewicz, Alexander participated in practice sporadically since his initial injury, including completing a full week of practice before Green Bay's Week 15 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. However, he was ruled out just before the game. A similar pattern occurred leading up to their Week 17 game against the Minnesota Vikings, where Alexander practiced earlier in the week but missed Friday's session and was ultimately ruled out.

"It's unfortunate," head coach Matt LaFleur said on Wednesday, per Hodkiewicz. "It is what it is. I feel for him. Obviously, he was trying to get his knee right, it wasn't getting right, and so, yeah, it's a tough deal for all of us.

Alexander has been managing a series of injuries, appearing in only 14 regular-season games over the past two seasons due to issues with his back, shoulder and knee, according to Hodkiewicz.

Teammate and Green Bay safety Xavier McKinney echoed LaFleur's sentiments, commending Alexander's dedication and efforts to return to the field.

"It's been tough," McKinney said, per Hodkiewicz. "We know that he was working to try to get back, but it's like every time he was trying to, he would tweak it again. It's a part of the game. We're just trying to be with him as much as possible, try to make sure he was good mentally because I knew how much it was hurting him not to be out there with us, just having conversations with him personally."

Carrington Valentine, a seventh-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, will step into the left cornerback position in Alexander's absence. This season, Valentine has tallied 15 solo tackles, one forced fumble, two interceptions and five passes defended.

Detroit Lions wide receiver is not a supporter of the current playoff system.

The 14-2 Lions are set to face the 14-2 Minnesota Vikings in Week 18 with the NFC North title on the line. The winner of the game will earn the No. 1 seed and get a bye into the Divisional Round while the loser will be relegated to a road playoff game in the Wild Card Round.

In the lead-up to the matchup, St. Brown acknowledged that a division winner should get a spot in the playoffs but that forcing a 14-win team to a road game is "crazy."

#Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown thinks the NFL "rule should be changed" so that a future 14-win team won't have a road playoff game. "I don't make the rules,” he said. “Hopefully we can get a win and get homefield advantage but whatever happens, we both have a spot in the playoffs." pic.twitter.com/LaNc5wQJZv

— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) January 2, 2025

"I think the rule should be changed," St. Brown said. "Obviously if you win the division, you should obviously make a playoff spot but having a 14-win team having to go on the road is kind of crazy. I don't make the rules, hopefully we can get a win and get home field advantage.

The Lions hold the current tiebreaker with the Vikings due to a head-to-head victory on Oct. 20. However, the winner of this game will gain the significant advantage while the other will have to travel to a division-winning team that will likely have just nine-or-ten wins.

While this is how the NFL has done it for years, the uncertainty the Vikings and Lions feel in their playoff positioning is surely a rare occurrence after a spectacular regular season. Additionally, a reality exists where the teams meet in the Divisional Round while the other two teams in that round have inferior records due to the playoff seeding.

Either way, Detroit's 14-2 start shows that the roster is capable of contending with anyone in their path, even if it requires going on the road to do so.

Having significantly increased his value across the NFL this season, Sam Darnold's future with the Minnesota Vikings will be one of the key questions going into the offseason.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, a "slight majority" of league executives who were polled believe the Vikings will keep Darnold either by using the franchise tag or signing him to a long-term contract.

The franchise tag would seem to be the most-likely scenario for Darnold and the Vikings. It's currently estimated the tag value for quarterbacks in 2025 will be $41.3 million. The team is projected to have $76.5 million in cap space available.

Even though Darnold would certainly prefer the security of a long-term contract, the estimated $41.3 million salary on the tag would be more than four times what he is making in Minnesota this season ($10 million).

J.J. McCarthy's presence on the Vikings' roster complicates matters. The No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft hasn't played this season due to a torn meniscus suffered in the preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 10.

Getting on the rookie quarterback timeline seemed like a priority for the Vikings after moving on from Kirk Cousins at the end of last season. They've used a lot of cap flexibility already to hand out lucrative extensions to Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, Christian Darrisaw, Brian O'Neill and sign Jonathan Greenard as a free agent.

A one-year tender for Darnold would allow the Vikings to maintain their long-term flexibility, but it would likely mean that McCarthy spends his first two seasons in the NFL on the bench.

Another possibility for the Vikings would be trading McCarthy, who might have significant value on the market because of his age and the 2025 quarterback draft class not looking strong paper.

ESPN's Adam Schefter recently said there is an expectation that teams will at least call the Vikings to gauge their interest in dealing McCarthy.

“JJ McCarthy would’ve been a top if not THE top QB in this draft.”@AdamSchefter says teams will be calling the @Vikings to inquire about their rookie QB this offseason 👀 pic.twitter.com/ccgautztGb

— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) January 1, 2025

Minnesota's success this season with Darnold makes it hard to envision a scenario where the team just lets him walk as a free agent.

The Vikings could tie the franchise record with 15 regular-season wins with a victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 18. A victory would also give them the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs.

Darnold has set career-highs in virtually every category this season, including passing yards (4,153), passing touchdowns (35) and completion percentage (68.1).

The Green Bay Packers' playoff positioning can't change all that much in Week 18, but head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed that the team's starters will suit up.

"You've got a 53-man roster plus two call-ups, so guys gotta play, so that's the approach that we take here," LaFleur explained, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "The right answer is whatever works, and I think you've got to have a philosophy on what works best for you. We were in a similar situation a few years back where we played the guys a half, and lost in the second half, and then we had the bye and we lost in the playoffs."

"I think there's value to going out there and playing, and playing well," he added.

The Packers are currently the No. 7 seed in the NFC standings and have already clinched a playoff berth. They can rise as high as No. 6, but they'd need a win to go along with a Dallas Cowboys victory over the Washington Commanders.

LaFleur previously rested his starters in the second half of a Week 18 contest in 2021, as Green Bay already locked up the No. 1 seed. The Packers ultimately suffered a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs, though.

Green Bay sits at 11-5 this season, but they're coming off a hard-fought 27-25 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

CLUTCH catch by Cam Akers for the first down to seal it! 🔥

📺: #GBvsMIN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/tqo6bSZaSp

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2024

It's clear that LaFleur wants his team to potentially have some momentum heading into the playoffs.

The Packers will attempt to close out the regular season on a high note against another NFC North rival, hosting the Chicago Bears. The Bears hold a 4-12 record this year and are in the midst of a 10-game losing streak.

Kickoff between Green Bay and Chicago is on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

The NFC North title is on the line this week as the Detroit Lions face the Minnesota Vikings in a clash of two of the best teams in the NFL.

There should be no shortage of excitement in the regular-season finale and Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs described the matchup as "cinema," per ESPN's Eric Woodyard.

Gibbs said the Lions "know what's at stake" but will prepare for the game just like "every other week."

They might be preparing for the matchup like every other week, but it is much more than that for the Lions. A win would give Detroit back-to-back division titles for the first time since 1953 and 1954. The Lions could also earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC and get a first-round bye in the playoffs with a victory.

Like Gibbs, Lions coach Dan Campbell expressed the excitement that comes with playing a high-stakes game to close out the season.

"This is what you're in it for, man," Campbell told reporters after Detroit's win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday. "You couldn't write a better scenario. You couldn't come up with this. The fact that both teams are sitting at 14-2 and it's for the division and the No. 1 seed. It just doesn't get any better than this. This is fairytale stuff."

Many top teams around the league will get to rest their starters in Week 18. While that won't be the case for the Lions and Vikings on Sunday, the two squads will get the experience of playing in a game that has a playoff feel to prime them for the postseason.