It is crunch time in the NFC North with Detroit and Minnesota still vying for the division title with two weeks to go. Green Bay has already clinched a playoff spot but where they fall in the seeding is still to be determined. The Packers can play a big factor in who wins the North with a monster matchup in Minnesota Sunday.
Let's take a look at where things stand in the division heading into Week 17:
DETROIT
Record: 13-2
Current playoff seed: No. 1
Remaining opponents: at San Francisco (6-9), vs. Minnesota (13-2)
Remaining opponent record: 19-11
Twentyman: The Lions are in a good spot to win the division for the second consecutive year if they handle their business the next two weeks. A win in San Francisco Monday and a Week 18 win at home vs. the Vikings would give Detroit a 15-2 record, a division title and No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, which comes with a first-round bye.
Detroit can clinch the division title and No. 1 seed this week if the Vikings lose to the Packers Sunday (4:25 p.m.) and Detroit goes to San Francisco and exacts a little revenge on the 49ers for last year's NFC Championship Game loss in Santa Clara.
If the Vikings beat Green Bay Sunday, Detroit's outcome - win or lose - Monday doesn't matter. If the Vikings beat Green Bay, then the Week 18 Lions-Vikings matchup in Detroit will be a winner take all for the NFC North and the No. 1 seed. Lions fans are definitely cheese heads Sunday afternoon.
MINNESOTA
Record: 13-2
Current playoff seed: No. 5
Remaining opponents: vs. Green Bay (11-4), at Detroit (13-2)
Remaining opponent record: 24-6
Twentyman: The Vikings have rolled off eight consecutive victories since losing back-to-back contests vs. Detroit and the Los Angeles Rams Weeks 7 & 8. The only home loss Minnesota has all year is to Detroit (31-29).
The Packers and Vikings played a weird game Week 4 in Green Bay. Minnesota jumped out to a 28-0 lead and had to hang on for a 31-29 win after a feverish Packers comeback that included a 22-point fourth quarter by Green Bay.
Things are simple for Minnesota. A win sets up a winner-take-all matchup in Detroit Week 18. A loss opens the door for the Lions to clinch things Monday night with a win over San Francisco and for Week 18 to mean nothing for the Lions and seeding for the Vikings.
GREEN BAY
Record: 11-4
Current playoff seed: No. 6
Remaining opponents: at Minnesota (13-2), vs. Chicago (4-12)
Remaining opponent record: 17-14
Twentyman: The Packers clinched a spot in the playoffs with the win over New Orleans last week, so what remains to be determined for them the rest of the way is which NFC Wild Card seed they will get.
The Packers could end up with any of the three — the No. 5, 6 or 7. Currently they're sitting in the No. 6 spot, but with a win this week at Minnesota, they'd have a chance to move up to the No. 5 with a win over Chicago Week 18 and a Lions win over Minnesota. That would create a tie between the Packers and Vikings in overall record, head-to-head and division record, so the tiebreaker would go to record against common opponents. Green Bay would own that by their win this season over the Rams, a team Minnesota lost to.
Conversely, a loss to the Vikings would eliminate the Packers' chances of getting the No. 5 spot, and it could put them in danger of falling to the No. 7 seed with a loss to Chicago in the regular-season finale. Washington (10-5) is right on the Packers' heels in the Wild Card chase, and they would be in position to jump in front of Green Bay should the Packers lose to the Vikings because Washington has the tiebreaker on Green Bay (better conference record).
View photos of the starters for the San Francisco 49ers.
Head Coach: Kyle Shanahan
Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line: Chris Foerster
Defensive Coordinator: Nick Sorensen
Special Teams Coordinator: Brian Schneider
(AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
WR Jauan Jennings
Backed up by Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing
(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
LT Trent Williams
Backed up by Jaylon Moore
(AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
LG Aaron Banks
Backed up by Sebastian Gutierrez
(AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)
C Jake Brendel
Backed up by Nick Zakelj
(AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
RG Dominick Puni
Backed up by Spencer Burford
(AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
RT Colton McKivitz
(AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
TE George Kittle
Backed up by Eric Saubert, Jake Tonges and Brayden Willis
(AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
RB Isaac Guerendo
Backed up by Patrick Taylor Jr. and Israel Abanikanda
(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
WR Deebo Samuel Sr.
Backed up by Chris Conley
(AP Photo/Doug Murray)
FB Kyle Juszczyk
(AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
QB Brock Purdy
Backed up by Brandon Allen and Joshua Dobbs
(AP Photo/Doug Murray)
LDE Leonard Floyd
Backed up by Yetur Gross-Matos
(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
LDT Maliek Collins
Backed up by Khalil Davis
(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
RDT Jordan Elliott
Backed up by Kalia Davis and Evan Anderson
(AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
RDE Nick Bosa
Backed up by Sam Okuayinonu and Robert Beal Jr.
(AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
SAM Dee Winters
Backed up by Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
(AP Photo/Stew Milne)
MIKE Fred Warner
(AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
WILL Dre Greenlaw
(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
LCB Charvarius Ward
Backed up by Rock Ya-Sin and Nick McCloud
(AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes)
RCB/NB Deommodore Lenoir
Backed up by Isaac Yiadom (RCB) and Renardo Green (RCB/NB)
(AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)
FS Malik Mustapha
Backed up by Tashaun Gipson Sr.
(AP Photo/Eakin Howard)
SS Talanoa Hufanga
Backed up by Ji'Ayir Brown
(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
P/H Pat O'Donnell
(AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
K Jake Moody
(AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
PR Jacob Cowing
Backed up by Ricky Pearsall
(AP Photo/Scot Tucker)
KR Isaac Guerendo
Backed up by Patrick Taylor Jr. and Ricky Pearsall
(AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
LS Taybor Pepper
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
CHICAGO
Record: 4-12
Remaining opponents: at Green Bay (11-4)
Remaining opponent record: 11-4
Twentyman: The loss to Seattle Thursday night is the 10th straight for the Bears. Seattle's win keeps them alive in the race for the NFC West title. They need Arizona to beat the Rams Sunday to set up a huge matchup Week 18 in LA vs. the Rams for the NFC West title.
The Bears play rival Green Bay to conclude the season and would like nothing more than to upset the Packers and potentially hurt their playoff seeding.
