Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill (54). Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Are Lions in the Playoffs After Win Over Giants?

Originally posted on Detroit Lions on SI
By Christian Booher | Last updated Nov 25, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Detroit Lions still have work to do heading into a massive Thanksgiving showdown with an NFC North rival.

After winning over the New York Giants on Sunday, the Lions remain on the outside of the playoff picture looking in due to the San Francisco 49ers' win over the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football.

Detroit currently holds the first spot outside of the Wild Card, sitting behind the 8-4 49ers for the seventh seed. The 49ers currently also hold the tiebreaker over the Lions if they were to finish tied with the same record due to their record in conference play.

The Lions still remain in a good position to control their playoff outcome. They will have matchups against the Packers, Cowboys and Rams over the next three weeks, and if they were to sweep that stretch it would put them in a position to shake up the playoff standings.

Detroit also currently sits just a game back of the NFC North lead, as the Chicago Bears are 8-3. With a win and a Bears loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Lions could be back in first-place as soon as Friday.

The Bears, Lions and Packers appear to have separated from the Minnesota Vikings, who lost a third-straight game at the hands of the Packers on Sunday. Now 4-7, the Vikings have a less than 1 percent chance to make the playoffs according to the NFL's Next Gen Stats playoff probabilities.

There's no downplaying the stakes of Detroit's matchup with the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving. With a win, the Lions would jump ahead of the Packers at 8-4, leaving their opponent at 7-4-1. Additionally, a Bears loss on Friday would drop them to 8-4, and the Lions currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker thanks to their win in Week 2.

Detroit will have its return meeting with the Bears at Soldier Field to end the regular season in Week 18.

Each of the Lions' next three games will be against teams deep in the NFC playoff hunt. In addition to Green Bay, the Lions face a Dallas Cowboys team that earned a big win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and then the top-seeded Los Angeles Rams.