The Detroit Lions won't be representing the NFC in the playoffs after being eliminated from playoff contention with their loss on Christmas. But there is still one opportunity Week 18 Sunday in Chicago to spoil the Bears' hopes for the No. 2 seed in the playoffs and potentially sweep the season series against the NFC North champion Bears.
It's an opportunity to break a three-game losing streak and end a difficult season on a good note, finishing above .500 on the year. It's one more opportunity to play their brand of football and regain some respect.
"It's what we stand for as an organization," Edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad said Wednesday. "No matter if it's playoffs or no playoffs, we are a great team and a tough team and we're going to go out there and compete and we're going to play as if we're playing for the No. 1 seed.
"At the end of the day, it says a lot about the individuals on the team and as an organization, what we are about. No matter how the outcome of the year came, you're a professional and as a professional, that's how you go about your business."
The Lions might play it safe with some players dealing with injuries who end the week as questionable to play and hold them out Sunday, but overall, Chicago is the last game on the schedule and Detroit wants to win it, much like they did in Green Bay Week 18 in 2022. Even without playoffs on the line, that win kicked off an important offseason that got the team on track for the next two seasons in 2023 (NFC Championship Game) and 2024 (No. 1 seed in NFC) before the step back this season.
"It's what I'm paid to do," quarterback Jared Goff said Wednesday when asked why it's important for him to play Sunday and try to finish the year strong. "I'm the quarterback of this team. I'm paid to play on Sundays and do my job and do it to the best of my abilities. It doesn't matter what our record is or what the situation may be. That's my job.
"And it's about respect. Not only respect for yourself, within your own team but respect around the league. We want to go out there and put something good on tape that can gain a little respect back from probably some of the loss of respect we earned this year."
LAPORTA UPDATE
Detroit Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta’s 2025 season ended Week 10 in Washington when he suffered a back injury that required surgery and a subsequent stint on injured reserve.
How is LaPorta doing now a month and a half out of surgery and into his rehab?
"Yeah, he's getting better," head coach Dan Campbell said. "It wouldn't have been one of those things where you get in the playoffs - did he have a chance to play? No, it wouldn't be that. But I feel like next year, that certainly isn't off the table early in the year. You'd like to believe training camp we'll get him. But you're talking about a back. And he's improving, but yet, he's not completely healed."
Anytime there's a neck or back injury, there's heightened concern about rehab because those injuries can be finicky, but Campbell seems to like the progress LaPorta is making.
"Well, I think it's anytime when you start talking about a neck or a back or some of those things - depending on a knee, what kind of knee it is or what it looks like - those can be concerning just because you don't know," Campbell said.
"You don't know exactly what's going to come out of that, how do they recover. So, that's always going to kind of be back there a little bit until either he is fully healed or he's not quite there. But I'd like to believe he'll have a lot of time to heal here. He's rehabbing every day. Certainly, it feels better after the surgery than he did right before, so that's a positive. Took a lot of stress off that nerve, so we'll see."
EGUAKUN SIGNED BY BROWNS
After being elevated from the practice squad to make two spot starts at center for the Lions the last two weeks, second-year center Kingsley Eguakun was signed off Detroit's practice squad by Cleveland to join their 53-man roster ahead of Week 18.
The Lions signed Eguakun as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and have developed him on their practice squad since his rookie season. Detroit will now enter Week 18 and the offseason without a player they thought showed potential to be a starting caliber center in this league.
"Well, he liked the opportunity," Campbell said Wednesday when asked about the situation. "So, he felt like that was the right thing for him and I wish him well. Love Kingsley - he's a good dude, works his tail off, has been here for a couple of years. And so, wish him the best of luck."
EXTRA POINTS
- The new kickoff rule and advances in long field goal accuracy, along with an increase in fourth down aggressiveness, have had an effect on the punting game in the NFL. According to Josh Dubow of The Associated Press, with one week remaining, the NFL is poised to set a record for fewest punts per game in any season in league history with the average of 3.54 punts per game for each team, the lowest on record.
- Since their Week 5 bye, Chicago is averaging 391.7 yards of offense per game, ranking No. 3 in the NFL.
