They say it’s hard to beat a team three times in a season in the NFL. That trope, while logical considering the familiarity divisional teams have with each other, doesn’t really hold up to statistical evidence. For the Detroit Lions, it won’t matter this year. Detroit swept the difficult NFC North in 2024, but both the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers still clawed their way into the playoffs, potentially setting up a “have to beat them a third time” matchup with Detroit in the postseason.
However, both the Vikings and Packers were eliminated this weekend after dropping serious eggs in their Wild Card matchup.