Barring a tie in next week’s Lions-Vikings clash, tonight’s outcome does not matter in the race for the No. 1 seed. Thanks to a previous win over the Vikings, the Lions hold the tiebreaker edge over Minnesota and would secure the NFC North title and No. 1 seed in the NFC if both teams finish with a 14-3 record — an outcome that would result from a Lions loss tonight and win next week.
The loser of next week’s game will be relegated to the No. 5 seed and a first-round road game in the postseason.
A loss by the Lions tonight would only come into play in the event of a tie next week. In that instance the Vikings would finish 14-2-1, ahead of the 13-3-1 Lions in the standings.