NFL Playoff Scenarios: Detroit Lions Have Perilous Road Ahead

The injury bug doesn't have any allegiance to any one team in particular, but it's easy to believe it may be working for the Detroit Lions these days.

I only bring it up because the Lions probably wouldn't be where they are if the Chicago Bears hadn't seen Jay Cutler and Matt Forte go down with significant injuries. Their wounds have caused the Bears to go in the tank, and the Lions have benefited.

In looking at the NFC playoff picture (see ESPN), the Lions are currently slated to earn the conference's second wild-card spot. That's good news in and of itself, but the even better news is the Lions don't have much competition. The Bears will likely remain doomed as long as Cutler and Forte are out, and the Dallas Cowboys have their eyes focused on the NFC East, not the wild-card race.

Sounds like the Lions are home free, right?

Um, not quite. 

Sorry, but we can't take anything for granted with the Lions team. It started 5-0 but has gone 3-5 ever since. To boot, the Lions' struggles are no accident, as they have been outplayed by teams that are clearly better than they are.

This is a trend that could very well continue in the final three weeks of the season, as Detroit's remaining schedule is less than ideal.

First up is a tilt at the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Though the Raiders have struggled the last two weeks, they should not be mistaken for a bad team—a flawed team, maybe, but the same can be said of the Lions. The Lions will get a boost from having Ndamukong Suh back from his two-game suspension (see Sporting News), but it's a game they could lose.

After that, the Lions will host the San Diego Chargers. I'll admit, the Lions should win that one. The Chargers have been playing better of late, but, well, I don't buy it.

Lastly, the Lions will play at the Green Bay Packers, who could be looking to put the finishing touches on a perfect season. Even if they're not, I think they'll able to handle the Lions.

If the Lions struggle, they leave the door open for the Bears or even the Arizona Cardinals or Seattle Seahawks to sneak in and steal their wild-card berth. If and when that happens, their failure will be complete.

To say that the Lions can't afford to slip up is putting it too lightly. They need to play good football, and that's something they really haven't done for several weeks now, hence the reason you can't take anything for granted with this team.

It's up to the Lions to prove otherwise, and they're running out of time to do so.