It hasn't been a pretty stretch for the Detroit Lions over the last few weeks. Losing three of five, Detroit has dropped all the way out of a playoff spot.
It's hard to believe, but if the postseason started today, the Lions wouldn't be there. Thankfully, there's plenty of time left, and Lions fans should be far from panicking.
In fact, one might argue that the Lions are going to be just fine; more than "just fine," in fact. As it stands, the Lions still have a better chance of making the playoffs than the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears.
Now, that's funny.
Lions fans can't help but laugh at the latest NFC playoff odds
Let's check in on the most recent NFC playoff picture and postseason odds courtesy of the official league website.
For a little bit more context, the next three teams on the list are the Carolina Panthers with a 21 percent chance of making the playoffs, the Dallas Cowboys at just 7 percent and the Minnesota Vikings at 5 percent.
Oh, those poor Vikings.
But, back to the real topic at hand -- the Bears.
How funny is it that the Bears currently hold worse playoff odds (58 percent) than the Lions at 74 percent?
These are, after all, the division-leading Bears. We haven't stop hearing about the current leaders of the NFC North since the Lions' most recent loss to the Eagles. But, it gets a whole lot tougher for Chicago in the coming days, and that includes yet another matchup between these two teams.
READ MORE: One glaring Lions weakness means team cannot underestimate Giants
Do we remember what happened last time Ben Johnson took on his former team?
52 points. That's what happened.
The Bears still have to play Green Bay (twice), the Eagles, 49ers and yes, the Lions.
Even taking on the vaunted Myles Garrett and Cleveland Browns defense isn't going to be easy, and the Bears might also have to face the very man who has owned them for years this coming Sunday, Aaron Rodgers.
Detroit also gets a game against those very same Pittsburgh Steelers, which should be a win. The Lions have games against the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys (two more likely wins).
The Rams and Packers will present a pair of tough games over the final stretch, while the second matchup with Minnesota remains very winnable.
At the end of the day, the league sees what we see: Detroit has the Bears right where they want them.
No worries at all.