The Detroit Lions entered Week 12 as the only team in the NFL with two losses. Sitting at 8-2, they were alone in second place in the NFC, behind only the Philadelphia Eagles, and ahead of the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. They came into their Thanksgiving Day game against the Green Bay Packers as heavy 8.5 point favorites, but were upset at the hands of Jordan Love’s 3 touchdown game, knocking their record down to 8-3.
Eagles Now Have 2-Game Lead In NFC
Eagles fans watching the Lions lose pic.twitter.com/oDScspLNVJ
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 23, 2023
It is great news for the Eagles. The top team in the conference obviously gets home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and the Lions picking up their third loss bodes well for Philadelphia hosting games in January. They now hold a two-game lead on any other competing team in the NFC, which gives them something of a cushion while going through one of the toughest possible stretches of schedule.
Their last two wins came over Super Bowl hopefuls in the Cowboys and Chiefs, and things won’t get any easier over the next few weeks. They will take on the Bills this coming Sunday, who themselves have plenty to prove, and will follow that up with perhaps the most important regular season game of all for the Eagles. On December 3rd, they will take on the 49ers with a chance to put their conference rivals in the rearview for good when it comes to home field advantage. Should they lose, however, then the location of their playoff games could be in jeopardy.
Lions Are One Of The Better Road Teams In NFL
With the Lions losing, Eagles are now 2 games ahead of all other NFC teams. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/qOPlORRbdV
— Thomas R. Petersen (@thomasrp93) November 23, 2023
For the Lions, the loss doesn’t affect their overall postseason odds all that much. They drop from 98% down to 94% and are still firmly in command in the NFC North, and being on the road hasn’t seemed to affect Detroit so far this year. They are 4-1 away from Ford Field, but playing in Philadelphia in January is vastly different from playing in Los Angeles in November or Green Bay in September.
Should the Eagles falter over the next couple of weeks, especially against the 49ers, the Lions could be ready to pounce. Their next three games are winnable once, with contests against the Saints, Bears, and Broncos coming up.
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