With franchise-record win streak, Lions coast to playoff berth

The Lions kept right on roaring.

On Thursday night, they set a franchise record with 11 straight wins, courtesy of a walk-off, 34-31 victory over Green Bay. In so doing, the Lions joined the Bills and Chiefs as the three teams that have clinched playoff berths.

The Lions still have work to do; they lead both the Eagles and Vikings by one game in the loss column. Philadelphia, at 10-2, gets a chance to keep pace on Sunday, at home against the Panthers. The 10-2 Vikings host the Falcons and six-year Minnesota starter Kirk Cousins.

It gets no easier next week, when the Lions host the 10-2 Bills in the late-afternoon window on Sunday.

The Lions finish with a pair of outdoor games, at Chicago and San Francisco, before ending the season with a visit from the Vikings. It remains very possible that the NFC North crown will come down to that Week 18 game, with the winner potentially finishing in the top spot and the loser relegated to a wild-card road game.

Still, the Lions keep on winning. Sometimes, it’s easy. Sometimes, it isn’t. Sometimes, they make it harder than it needs to be.

Regardless, the Lions have done something they’ve never done before, racking up 11 wins in a row after a Week 2 home loss to Tampa Bay.

In time, Detroit will try to do something else it’s never before done — qualify for a Super Bowl.