It's not time to fret about the Detroit Lions' playoff chances _ not yet, at least.
With two games left in the regular season and their NFC North lead down to one game, the Lions are still on track to reach the postseason for the second time in three years.
The Lions (9-5) next visit the NFC-leading Dallas Cowboys for a Monday night game (8:30, ESPN), then host the Green Bay Packers (8-6) in the regular-season finale on New Year's Day at Ford Field.
Any combination of two Lions victories and/or Packers losses will clinch the Lions' first division championship since 1993.
Players insisted in the locker room after Sunday's 17-6 loss to the New York Giants that they're not focused on their two-game season, only Monday's game against the Cowboys. But it's clear that everyone knows where the playoff picture stands.
"We just have to go out and get another win," safety Glover Quin said. "We control our destiny. We lost a game, now we just have to go out and win the next one."
The Cowboys (12-2) might have something to play for next week. If the Giants, owners of the second-best record in the NFC (10-4), beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, the Cowboys will need a win to clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
If the Giants lose, the Cowboys will be guaranteed the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The Lions can make the playoffs either as division champs or as a wild card, though they'd probably need to beat the Cowboys to go the wild-card route. The Giants and Washington (7-5-1 heading into Monday night's game) sit atop the wild-card race, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6) lurking.
If the Lions lose out and finish 9-7, they could miss out on a wild-card spot to a 9-6-1 Washington team. In the event that the Lions tie at 9-7 with Tampa, it would come down to the third or fourth tiebreaker. Those are record among common opponents (both teams would be 3-2 if the Bucs win their remaining game against the New Orleans Saints) or strength of victory (which will be determined over the final two weeks).
