After sweeping the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North, the Detroit Lions take on the Dallas Cowboys in a first-round game in the South this weekend. The playoff Lions and Cowboys have a lot to play for with two games left in the NFL regular season, and this potential postseason matchup will garner plenty of attention Saturday night. Here are some notes on the heavyweight NFC battle between the two best teams in the conference.
Commentary on cowboys in front of lionsBoth species are endangered, perhaps even more so.The Lions will be making their first playoff appearance since 1993 and their first game in Ford Field history since capturing the NFC North for the first time in 30 years. The remaining two games will go a long way in determining who and what their opponents will be in the postseason.
If Detroit wins, it will be the conference’s second seed in the playoffs. If the San Francisco 49ers lose one of their remaining two games and Detroit wins, the Lions will get a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs. San Francisco will fight for their playoff lives in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams, led by former Lion Matthew Stafford.
Detroit fans will want their former quarterback to cheer them on once again when these two teams meet. But none of that will matter if the Lions don’t take care of business this weekend. If Detroit leaves Dallas with a loss, they will have the No. 3 seed when the playoffs begin next month. A second-place finish would guarantee Detroit two home games in the playoffs, which would be a huge step forward for Detroit in its quest for a deep postseason run.
If the Lions are able to win, they would be the first opponent to win in Dallas this season and only the second team to do so in the last two years.
Jerry World’s record for the Cowboys during that span is 15-1, with their only loss coming at the hands of Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions will try to do what no opponent has done at AT&T Stadium this season before returning to Detroit for the regular season finale against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18.
