Two NFL teams have already clinched their divisions, and two more teams could clinch their divisions this week. But the Lions, despite having the NFL’s best record, aren’t close to clinching the NFC North.
The Vikings are only one game behind the Lions in the division and the Packers are three games back, and Lions quarterback Jared Goff knows the division race is far from settled.
“We have to keep winning,” Goff said. “We’d love to say at 12-1 our division’s wrapped up, but it’s not even close. We’ve got two teams on our heels that are pushing us pretty hard. We’ve got to keep winning. I’m sure they’re just waiting for us to lose.”
The Lions have a head-to-head sweep over the Packers, and have already beaten the Vikings in Minnesota, and they’re -1100 favorites to win the NFC North. So they’re certainly in very good shape to win the division, and could clinch the NFC North before their Week 18 rematch with the Vikings. But they haven’t put the rest of the division in the rear-view mirror the way a 12-1 team usually would have.