Wednesday open thread: Who is the Lions’ preferred first-round opponent in the playoffs?

The Detroit Lions are on the verge of a pretty disappointing collapse. A loss combined with a Washington win in Week 17 would push Detroit out of a playoff spot. But let’s not talk about that right now. Let’s try to show some optimism and look forward to a postseason that includes the Lions.

On Monday night, we released our Detroit Lions Playoff Scenarios flowchart. It shows you every possible first-round matchup for the Lions given every possible scenario in each relevant game of Week 17. The results show that Detroit could play the Falcons, Giants, Seahawks, Washington or the Packers in the first round of the playoffs. So today’s Question of the Day is:

Which team would you like the Lions to face in the first round of the playoffs?

My answer: The most logical answer is Washington. Detroit has already defeated them earlier in the season and the only scenarios in which the two teams would face off are if the Lions hold the three seed and would therefore play them at home.

That would obviously be my first choice, but since it’s a boring answer, let me give you my second most-preferred matchup. I think the Lions could fare well in a rematch against the Giants. If the Lions were playing the Giants, it would mean they would land in the four-seed, and would get a chance this time to face New York in the confines of Ford Field. Detroit played a competitive game against the Giants at the Meadowlands, and if they can play a game with less mistakes, I believe they could defeat them in the first round of the playoffs.

Your turn.