Dallas and Green Bay’s victories shifted the complexion of the NFC wild-card race.
Green Bay is now 1.5 games in front of the Lions, while Dallas is just one game back of Detroit in the win column.
The Packers could end the weekend atop the NFC North if the Chicago Bears lose to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday.
Detroit and Dallas play next Thursday in a massive game in the context of the wild-card race.
The winner of that contest picks up a head-to-head tiebreaker that might be useful after Week 18 depending on what happens with the San Francisco 49ers.
Detroit can still catch the Bears for the NFC North crown, as could the Cowboys in the NFC East against the Eagles.
But if the Eagles win on Friday, it’s far more likely that Dallas’ path to the playoffs is through a wild-card spot, which means Thursday is a must-win for the Cowboys against Detroit.
Before Dallas and Detroit face off, the 49ers can open their advantage with a win over the Cleveland Browns. The 49ers have a Week 14 bye, but if they beat Browns, they will at least have a one-game advantage in the wild-card race when they return to action in Week 15.
