The Detroit Lions are staring down a razor-thin playoff path, and with just two weeks left in the regular season, their postseason hopes are hanging by a thread - and possibly in the hands of a backup quarterback.
After falling out of the NFC North title race, Detroit’s only remaining shot is through the final wild-card spot. The problem?
That spot currently belongs to the Green Bay Packers. And for the Lions to leapfrog their division rival, they’ll need to win out and get help - specifically, they need the Packers to lose both of their remaining games.
The first of those two must-lose games for Green Bay comes this week against the Baltimore Ravens, a team still in its own playoff fight. But there’s a major wrinkle: Lamar Jackson’s availability is in serious question.
Jackson exited early in Week 16 with a back injury and didn’t participate in Baltimore’s first practice of the week. According to reports, his status for Saturday’s game is very much up in the air. If he’s unable to go, that’s a big blow for the Ravens - and, by extension, for the Lions, who are counting on Baltimore to come through with a win.
Enter Tyler Huntley.
If Jackson is sidelined, Huntley will step in under center for Baltimore. He’s made just one start this season, back in Week 8, but he made it count.
Huntley led the Ravens to a 30-16 win over the Chicago Bears, completing 17 of 22 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown, while also adding 53 yards on the ground. It was a poised, efficient performance - the kind that gives Baltimore a fighting chance, even without their MVP-caliber starter.
For Detroit, that’s the hope: that Huntley can replicate that kind of performance against a Packers team that’s dealing with its own quarterback uncertainty.
Jordan Love is in the concussion protocol, and Malik Willis is nursing a shoulder injury. The good news for Green Bay is that Love returned to practice Tuesday, a strong sign he’s trending toward playing. Willis, meanwhile, expects to be available despite the shoulder issue.
If both starters are sidelined, and this matchup turns into a battle of backups, Green Bay might still have the edge. Since arriving in Green Bay, Willis has shown flashes that suggest he can manage the offense well enough to keep the Packers afloat. But that’s hardly a guarantee - especially against a desperate Baltimore team with a defense that can still bring heat.
Bottom line: the Lions need a lot to go right - for themselves and from others. Their margin for error is nonexistent. But if Huntley can channel some Week 8 magic, and if the Packers’ quarterback situation remains murky, Detroit’s playoff dream might just stay alive for another week.