Are the Detroit Lions playing today? NFL playoff schedule for wild card round

Do it Detroit Lions play today? No, and that’s a good thing!

While in most cases you want your team to be in action once the playoffs begin, the Kansas City Lions and Chiefs are the two teams that are Fortunately sitting at home and watching the wild-card round of the 2025 NFL playoffs.

The Lions clinched the all-important top seed for the NFC as well as the NFC North crown in Week 18 when they took down a red-hot Minnesota Vikings team at Ford Field. The Lions won 31-9, thanks to a dominant second-half effort that saw them overtake the Vikings and secure all of their regular season goals along the way.

The NFC playoff picture was largely wrapped up before Week 18 even began, but after some shuffling over the final day, including the Lions securing the 1 seed and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and with the Los Angeles Rams coming in at No. 3 and No. 4 spots respectively, the schedule was set.

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The NFL playoffs began Saturday with two AFC clashes between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Houston Texans, then the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Baltimore Ravens.

The NFC playoffs begin Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. when the Eagles host the Green Bay Packers.

Here’s what you need to know for the NFL playoff wild-card round:

How to get the Lion Kings of the North poster

Are the Lions playing today?

No. The Lions will not play Sunday as they enjoy a bye after securing first place in the NFC thanks to a impressive 15-2 record.

The Lions will be back in action on January 18 or 19 for the divisional round and will only need to win two games to make the Super Bowl.

Lions fans should keep an eye on all three NFC games as they could impact who heads to Ford Field next week.

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NFL Playoff Schedule Today

This Sunday will look a lot like your normal NFL Sunday, just with a lot fewer games that mean a lot more.

There will be one game played in the 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. windows, as is the case, but with only one game per window.

• The day begins with the AFC closing out its wild-card round with Josh Allen and the The Buffalo Bills host the Denver Broncos at 1 p.m. on CBS.

• Next, the NFC begins its wild card games with a fun showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers at 4:30 p.m. on Fox, a rematch of the Week 1 game played in Brazil.

• The third and final match on Sunday will have The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Washington Commanders at 8 p.m. on NBC for the traditional Sunday Night Football game.

All Sunday’s matches will also be streamed on Fubo (sign up for a free trial).

The Lions will be off for a week and get some much-needed rest and recovery before returning to the field on Jan. 18 or 19, depending on NFL schedules.

If the Eagles and Buccaneers win, the Lions will play next Sunday as they face the winner of the Monday Night Football game between the 5-seed Vikings and the 4-seed Rams in Arizona.

Watch playoff games live on Fubo (free trial)

NFC Playoff Photo

1. Lions (15-2, NFC North winner)

2. Eagles (14-3, NFC East winner)

3. Buccaneers (10-7, NFC South winner)

4. Rams (10-7, NFC West winner)

5. Vikings (14-3, wild card)

6. Commanders (12-5, wild card)

7. Packers (11-6, wild card)

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Who will the Detroit Lions play in the playoffs?

The only teams the Lions cannot face in the divisional round would be the Eagles and Buccaneers.

The NFL reseeds itself after the wild-card round, so the Lions will play whichever team is the lower seed among the Rams, Vikings, Commanders or Packers.

If the Commanders and Packers lose on Sunday, the Lions’ matchup will come down to Monday Night Football between the Rams and the Vikings, two teams the Lions know well.

Check out our predictions here.

2024-25 NFL Playoff Schedule

• Joker round: Saturday-Monday.

• Divisional round: January 18-19.

• Conference Championships: January 26.

• Super Bowl 59: February 9 in New Orleans.

NFL Playoff Wildcard Weekend Schedule

Follow live scores from the NFL playoffs on https://sportsdata.usatoday.com.

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This article was originally published on Detroit Free Press: When do the Detroit Lions play? NFL Playoff Schedule Today