Detroit Lions playoff chase rooting guide for Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season

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Allen Park — Obviously, when it comes to the Detroit Lions’ playoff aspirations, everything starts with taking care of their own business. This week, that means taking down the conference-leading Los Angeles Rams on the road.

Clearly, no small feat, but it’s the way the cards have been dealt. The Lions would still be a game back of the Rams in the standings, but would give them the head-to-head tie-breaker if it came into play.

It’s widely accepted that the Lions will need to win three of their final four games to earn a postseason berth. Even that’s not a guarantee, but simulations put them close to 90%, particularly if one of those three wins comes in the season finale against Chicago.

While the Lions worry about what they can control, here are some of the games on this week’s schedule that potentially offer outside help.

Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Chicago fell from the conference’s top seed, plummeting to the seventh and final slot after stumbling in Green Bay last week. That emphasizes how top-heavy and congested the race is at the top heading into the stretch run.

The 3-10 Browns offer a good opportunity to get right, but everyone understands that defense, led by Myles Garrett, can present problems any given Sunday. Plus, the Cleveland offense seems to have a little more juice with rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders gaining confidence with experience.

Don’t forget, the Browns knocked off the Packers earlier this season. A Chicago loss and Detroit win would push the Lions into a playoff spot due to a head-to-head victory over the Bears in Week 2.

Las Vegas Raiders at Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Since fending off the Lions in Week 11, the Eagles have dropped three straight. Still, at 8-5, with two games against the struggling Commanders and this week’s matchup with the Raiders remaining, the defending champions should have no problem holding off the Cowboys, who are 1.5 games back in the NFC East race.

The Eagles and Lions are tied in the standings, with the head-to-head win giving the Eagles the tie-breaker if both manage to win their respective divisions. So, while not a pressing concern to Detroit’s postseason prospects, a Raiders’ upset could potentially help down the road.

Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos, Sunday, 4:25 p.m.

The Packers seized the NFC North lead by topping the Browns last week, but face a challenging closing stretch, starting with this weekend’s game against the 11-2 Broncos.

If the Lions can beat the Rams, a Packers’ loss would put the North crown back in play with three games to go. After this week, Green Bay still has tough matchups at Chicago and home against Baltimore.

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints, Sunday, 4:25 p.m.

The Panthers moved into a tie atop the NFC South during their bye week after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got upset by the New Orleans Saints, then jumped ahead of the Buccaneers when they couldn’t hold off the Falcons on Thursday.

The Panthers controlled their own fate with or without Thursday’s result, and still will regardless of this weekend’s outcome, because they play the Buccaneers twice during the final three weeks.

The only way any of this matters to the Lions is if the Panthers win out and the Lions win the NFC North with 11 wins. In that scenario, the Panthers would win the tie-breaker with a better conference record.

Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, 4:25 p.m.

A home game against the lowly Titans is as close to a lock as you’ll get in the NFL. With a victory, the 49ers will move to 10-4 with the suddenly reeling Colts on deck the following week, leading into more challenging home games against the Bears and Seahawks to close the season.

Obviously, the Lions wouldn’t mind a 49ers’ loss, either this week or next, but given both are AFC foes, it wouldn’t help the tie-breaking scenario for the Lions, who already have two more conference losses than San Francisco.

Indianapolis Colts at Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, 4:25 p.m.

Having dropped four of their past five, the Colts are trying to stop their free fall by bringing 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement to replace starting quarterback Daniel Jones, who was lost to a season-ending Achilles injury.

The 10-3 Seahawks, who have won six of seven, are happy to take advantage of the situation in pursuit of the NFC West title and the conference’s top seed.

A Seattle loss paired with a Detroit win puts the Lions in a better position to catch them in the standings, whether for better Wild Card seeding, or even in the unlikely scenario where both teams win their divisions.