Detroit Lions playoff clinching scenarios for Week 15: Root for Eagles vs. Seahawks on MNF

The Detroit Lions are a virtual lock to make the playoffs after beating the Denver Broncos, 42-17, on Saturday — and they could remove the "virtual" part by the end of NFL business in Week 15.

Here's what the Lions need to happen to secure a playoff spot Sunday or Monday. Regardless of the outcome of this week's games, the Lions can clinch their first division title in 30 years with a win over the Minnesota Vikings (7-7) next Sunday in Minneapolis.

The only way the Lions will not win the NFC North and host a playoff game is if they lose their remaining three games and the Vikings win out. The Lions (10-4) play the Vikings twice in the final three weeks. The Lions visit Dallas in Week 17, and the Vikings host Green Bay.

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Sunday's playoff-clinching scenarios

The Lions lock up a playoff spot if:

● Los Angeles Rams (6-7) lose or tie against the Washington Commanders (4-9) AND the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) lose or tie against the Green Bay Packers (6-7).

Update: The Bucs went into Lambeau Field and whacked the Packers, 34-20, as Baker Mayfield threw four touchdown passes to eliminate the Packers from NFC North contention, negating this scenario.

● Los Angeles Rams (6-7) lose or tie against the Washington Commanders (4-9) AND the Atlanta Falcons (6-7) lose or tie against the Carolina Panthers (1-12).

Update: The Falcons were upset by the NFL-worst Panthers, 9-7, in North Carolina on Eddy Pineiro's 23-yard field goal with no time remaining.

This means a loss by Matthew Stafford and the Rams to Washington would have put the Lions into the playoffs for the first time since 2016. But the Rams were able to hold on for the win over the Commanders, 28-20, after comfortably leading all game. Stafford finished the day 25-for-33 with 258 yards passing and two scores, while Cooper Kupp continued to look more and more like himself, snagging eight catches for 111 yards and scored a touchdown for the third straight game.

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Monday's playoff-clinching scenarios:

● Seattle Seahawks (6-7) lose or tie against the Philadelphia Eagles (10-3).

The Lions are currently in the third spot in the NFC playoffs, behind the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, and would host the No. 6 seed Vikings in the wild-card round.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How Detroit Lions can clinch NFL playoff spot today