When the Detroit Lions host the Denver Broncos on Saturday night, the team has an opportunity to clinch Detroit’s first playoff berth since the 2016 season. Technically, the Lions have 16 different opportunities to wrap up a postseason berth over the Week 15 weekend.
All of the 16 scenarios involve Detroit not losing to Denver. There isn’t a clinching scenario off a Lions’ loss. Technically, there are scenarios where the Lions win and improve to 10-4 but don’t quite clinch a postseason berth. Add the unlikely event of ties into the equation and the pathways to the postseason expand quite a bit, too.
From the NFL, here are all the different scenarios for the Lions to clinch a postseason berth in Week 15:
DET win + SEA loss or tie + GB loss or tie OR
DET win + SEA loss or tie + MIN loss or tie OR
DET win + SEA loss or tie + LAR loss or tie OR
DET win + LAR loss or tie + MIN loss or tie + TB loss OR
DET win + LAR loss or tie + ATL loss or tie + GB loss OR
DET win + LAR loss or tie + MIN loss or tie + ATL loss or tie OR
DET win + GB-TB tie + LAR loss or tie OR
DET tie + TB loss + SEA loss + LAR loss OR
DET tie + GB loss + SEA loss + LAR loss OR
DET tie + LAR loss + SEA loss + ATL loss OR
DET tie + GB loss + SEA loss + ATL loss or tie OR
DET tie + MIN loss + SEA loss + LAR loss OR
DET tie + GB loss + LAR loss + ATL loss or tie + NO loss or tie OR
DET tie + GB-TB tie + MIN loss + SEA loss + LAR tie OR
DET tie + GB-TB tie + MIN loss + SEA loss + ATL loss or tie OR
DET tie + GB-TB tie + MIN loss + LAR loss + ATL loss or tie
As for other games that factor in these scenarios…
Minnesota (7-6) visits Cincinnati (7-6) on Saturday afternoon
Green Bay (6-7) visits Tampa Bay (6-7) on Sunday
Los Angeles (6-7) hosts Washington (4-9) on Sunday
Atlanta (6-7) visits Carolina (1-12)
New Orleans (6-7) visits the New York Giants (5-8)