The Detroit Lions are officially in the playoffs, their first appearance since 2016, after clinching the NFC North with a win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. It's their first division title since 1993.
While it’s not clear who the Lions will face, the team is on pace for its best season since 2014 when the team went 11-5, but lost in the Wild Card.
It’s been a long time since Detriot won a playoff game. You have to go all the way back to the 1991 season when they beat the Dallas Cowboys 38-6 in the NFC divisional round on Jan. 5, 1992.
It’s likely the Lions will be in the Wild Card spot, as the San Franciso 49ers look to lock up the top-seed in the NFC, meaning they’ll have a first-round bye.
Here’s how the NFL playoff structure works.
- No. 1 seed - Best record in NFC or AFC (gets first-round bye)
- No. 2 seed - Second-best division winner record (will play No. 7 seed & host Wild Card game)
- No. 3 seed - Third-best division winner record (will play No. 6 seed & host Wild Card game)
- No. 4 seed - Fourth-best division winner record (will play No. 5 seed & host Wild Card game)
- No. 5 seed - Best record for Wild Card teams
- No. 6 seed - Second-best record for Wild Card teams
- No. 7 seed - Third-best record for Wild Card teams
The Wild Card round kicks off Jan. 13, with the divisional round starting on Jan. 20, the conference championships on Jan. 28 and the Super Bowl on Feb. 11.
Below is the schedule for the NFL playoffs.
Wild Card Round
Saturday, Jan. 13
- NFC or AFC game - 4:30 p.m. on NBC/Peacock
- NFC or AFC game - 8:15 p.m. on Peacock
Sunday, Jan. 14
- NFC or AFC game - 1 p.m. on CBS or Fox
- NFC or AFC game - 4:30 p.m. on CBS or Fox
- NFC or AFC game - 8:15 p.m. on NBC
Monday, Jan. 15
- NFC or AFC game - 8:15 p.m. on ABC
Divisional Round
- Saturday, Jan. 20 and Sunday, Jan. 21 (one AFC and NFC game each day)
Conference Championship
Sunday, Jan. 28
- AFC Championship Game - 3 p.m. on CBS
- NFC Championship Game - 6:30 p.m. on Fox
Super Bowl LVII
Sunday, Feb. 11
