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Plots to follow in Week 18 of the NFL: possible scenarios for the first seed in the AFC
The NFL announced the cancellation of the game between the Bills and Bengals, which maintains the expectation for several teams that will decide their fate in the last week of the season.
Los Detroit Lions They do not usually play relevant games in January and although the motivation to transcend is with them, the experience in life and death duels is on the side of the Green Bay Packers.
It should be remembered that the only way in which the duel on Sunday night of the week 18the last game of the regular season 2022-23 at Lambeau Field it will be an early duel of the Playoffs is if the Seattle Seahawks lose Sunday afternoon to Los Angeles Rams.
If Seattle beats the Rams, the Lions would have nothing to lose and would play in Green Bay with only the motivation to keep the Packers out of the Playoffs as well. That’s the kind of role Detroit tends to play in the final weeks of the regular schedule, that of the team that stumbles over those who aspire to better things.
However, credit should be given to coach Dan Campbell, who seemed headed for a second season in charge and now has the Lions one win away from becoming the fourth team in NFL history to reach the playoffs after at least five games under .500 with a 1-6 record. The first to do so were the Cincinnati Bengals (1970), Carolina Panthers (2014) y Washington Commanders (2020).
Since Campbell’s first year as coach, the Lions raised their game, but they only added moral victories that were not reflected in the standings and the same seemed to happen in the first half of the 2022 schedule with a productive offense that was forced to score. more than 30 because of how permissive his defense was.
After allowing 32.1 points per game, the Lions’ defense began to become complicit in their attack, and in the past nine games, they have lowered their average points allowed per game to 20.6. Interestingly, the metamorphosis began with a 15-9 victory over the Packers in Week 9 in which they intercepted three times Aaron Rodgers.
The offense has done its part in the Lions’ resurgence by scoring 28.9 points per game (4th in the NFL since Week 9) and with a Jared Goff who comes to Lambeau Field riding a 290-pass non-interception streak; the last one he suffered was against the Packers. In total, Detroit has only turned the ball over four times in its last nine games.
The only reasonable doubt with the Lions is how they will react in a scenario that they are not used to, life or death, and that they could have avoided had they not lost in Week 16 against the Carolina Panthers, when they seemed to assimilate the position in which they were
The Packers and Rodgers are used to that, who has won the last three regular season games in which Green Bay plays for the playoff spot.
Also, Rodgers hasn’t lost the two games he’s faced against a Jared Goff team at Lambeau Field.
And if history plays against the Lions ahead of this duel, the Packers also arrive at this event in good rhythm, with four victories in a row in which they have kept their rivals to 20 or less points, in addition to having Made at least one steal in their last 10 games.
The Packers are trying to reach the Playoffs for the fourth consecutive year in coach Matt LaFleur’s fourth year in charge and their only obstacle to their goal are the Lions trying to reach the postseason for the first time since 2016.
It all hinges on the Rams beating the Seahawks so the Lions have a chance to play more do-or-die games in January 2023.
ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.
