NFL sets date and time for Detroit Lions’ regular-season finale

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions person 1 crippled near connected nan regular play aft being eliminated from nan playoffs pinch their nonaccomplishment to nan Minnesota Vikings.

And while nan once-enticing Week 18 travel to look Ben Johnson and nan Chicago Bears has mislaid its muster and nationalist appeal. The NFL has scheduled that crippled to return spot astatine 4:25 p.m. connected Sunday connected Fox from Soldier Field, still giving it a coagulated nationalist spotlight.

Detroit will decorativeness nan play without playing a azygous roadworthy crippled successful nan early slate pinch this scheduling. The NFL releases nan schedule for Week 18 erstwhile astir games from nan erstwhile week are finished. It’s a chance for nan convention to spotlight nan games that mean nan astir to extremity nan play pinch flexibility.

The Lions are already done, pinch nary way to nan postseason. Chicago has already won nan NFC North title, and aft its nonaccomplishment to nan San Francisco 49ers connected Sunday Night Football, can’t scope nan No. 1 seed.

Detroit hit nan Bears 52-21 measurement backmost successful Week 2 successful its location opener from Ford Field. Those 2 person reversed people ever since that game. The Bears person improved passim nan twelvemonth nether Ben Johnson arsenic nan Lions person dropped 3 consecutive to miss nan playoffs aft winning back-to-back section titles.

For nan Lions (8-8), a nonaccomplishment would unafraid them nan fourth-place schedule for adjacent play and amended draught positioning. The 49ers capitalized connected that fourth-place schedule this season, and look astatine them now, correct backmost connected apical gladly taking nan break.

Dan Campbell isn’t nan type to do thing resembling tanking, though. And pinch a chance to expanse aged friend Johnson and nan rival Bears (11-5) successful Year 1 of these matchups, expect nan Lions coach to effort and find a measurement to extremity nan twelvemonth connected a precocious note.

“Well, we sewage 1 crippled to go, man, and you know, I expect everybody to beryllium fresh to spell erstwhile we get backmost successful a mates of days, beryllium locked successful and beryllium fresh erstwhile we get connected a level to spell to Chicago,, to beryllium locked successful 1 much time,” Campbell said connected Christmas. “That’s what I expect. And past we’ll spell from location ... ”

The 49ers will play nan Seattle Seahawks pinch nan NFC West crown and apical seed up for grabs connected Saturday night. The only different Saturday crippled is for nan NFC South title, pinch nan Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers battling for nan conference’s lone remaining playoff spot.

Back present successful Detroit, it’s a reminder of what could person been pinch this crippled group to extremity nan year. Johnson and nan Bears are going to nan playoffs arsenic section champs, nary matter what happens connected Sunday. And that’s capable information for Campbell’s Lions.

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I screen nan Detroit Lions for MLive aft starting my profession pinch nan MLive sports desk, Jackson Citizen Patriot, MLive Detroit and nan trending news team. I americium a lifelong Michigander, Central Michigan...