The 49ers (6-9) have little to play for with two games remaining in the 2024 NFL season after officially being eliminated from playoff contention, but that won’t alter the Detroit Lions’ game plan for their Week 17 matchup.
On the other end of things for the Lions (13-2), the “Monday Night Football” tilt might not matter for Detroit’s playoff seeding. The scenarios are endless, but there’s only one mindset for Lions coach Dan Campbell entering Monday’s contest: to win — with their entire roster.
“I’ll make this easy for everybody that way all the critics can jump out and start attacking, but that way you don’t have to debate them anymore,” Campbell said (h/t Detroit Free Press). “We’re bringing everything we got to this game and we are playing, I don’t care what it looks like and where it’s at and who’s this, who’s that.
“We’re going out to play and win this game, out on the West Coast. So there you go.”
The banged-up 49ers will be without more players for the Week 17 game after Jaylon Moore (quad), Aaron Banks (knee) and Trent Williams (ankle) have been shut down for the remainder of the season.
Detroit can clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed if it beats San Francisco in Week 17 and the Minnesota Vikings lose to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Since the Lions don’t play until Monday night, they’ll know 24 hours prior if they can clinch the No. 1 seed or not.
If Minnesota wins Sunday, all the clinching scenarios will be put on hold until Week 18.
Nonetheless, Campbell is approaching Monday’s game against the 49ers with playoff implications the least of his worries. He’s simply focused on winning.
“We know what we’re getting ready to walk into and we know we have to win,” Campbell said. “We have to win, and it’s onto the next one.”
If anything, Monday is a chance for revenge for Campbell and his Lions, who fell to the 49ers in last year’s NFC Championship Game.
“Everything we got goes into San Fran. Everything we got, man,” Campbell said. ” … We know what this was last year, we went out there and weren’t able to win, so this will be good. We’re looking forward to this.”
