The Lions’ loss to the Bills means the Vikings control their destiny in the NFC North

After 11 straight wins, the Lions have finally lost a football game. They fell 48-42 to Josh Allen and the Bills in Detroit on Sunday and fell to 12-2 on the season.

That’s huge for the Vikings, who now control their own destiny in the NFC North. They can tie the Lions at 12-2 with a win over the Bears on Monday night, and if they win, they are guaranteed to claim the division title. It won’t be easy by any means – the Vikings end with tough games in Seattle, vs. Green Bay and in Detroit – but it’s not impossible either.

In the past, the Vikings could have won and still lost a tiebreaker to the Lions due to common play (the Lions beat the Rams, who beat the Vikings). The unlikely scenario would have made them the No. 5 seed despite a 15-2 record. This Detroit loss now changes things — and increases the likelihood that the Week 18 meeting between these two teams will be for the division crown.

The Lions are still the absolute favorites to win the NFC North as they play the Bears next week and get to play the all-important season finale against Minnesota at home. But the Vikings are in the mix. There’s also a scenario where the Vikings lose to either the Seahawks or Packers and the Lions lose to the 49ers in San Francisco in Week 17, setting up a winner-take-all matchup in Detroit.

The Vikings will almost certainly need to go at least 2-1, if not 3-0, over their next three games to stay alive in the division race. Their pursuit of the NFC North title must start with a home win over the Bears on Monday night.

It is not entirely clear whether the Vikings control their own destiny in the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Eagles also moved to 12-2 Sunday, and it could come down to a strength of victory tiebreaker between Minnesota and Philadelphia.

This was quite the game between the Lions and the Bills as the two highest scoring teams in the NFL this season played the highest scoring game of the season. They combined for 90 points and a whopping 1,080 total yards. Buffalo led 14-0 early and led by seven points at halftime. At the end of the third quarter, they were up 35-14. Dan Campbell’s decision to kick an onside kick down 38-28 early in the fourth quarter was a controversial decision that didn’t pay off. The Bills returned the onside kick to the 5 and scored a touchdown on the next play. The Lions made it a one-score game but couldn’t recover another onside kick in the final seconds to give themselves a chance at a Hail Mary.

Allen, cementing himself as the MVP favorite, totaled 430 yards and 4 touchdowns. James Cook had 133 yards and 2 TDs. In a losing effort, Jared Goff threw for 494 yards and 5 TDs on 59 attempts.

It’s also notable that the injuries continue to pile up for the Lions on the defensive side of the ball. They were already missing several defensive players, and now they may also have lost DT Alim McNeill and CB Carlton Davis III for the season.

The Vikings can officially clinch their inevitable playoff spot with a Seahawks loss to the Packers on Sunday night or a win over the Bears on Monday.

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