Sunday open thread: What place will the Lions be in the NFC North after Week 8?

Last week, the Detroit Lions pulled themselves out of the basement of the NFC North for the first time this year. Though they are still technically tied with the Chicago Bears for last place with a 3-3 record, tiebreakers would put them ahead if the season was over right now.

In even better news, the Lions could make some headway this week to gain even further ground in the division. Here’s how the standings look after seven weeks:

1. Vikings: 4-2-1
2. Packers: 3-2-1
t-3. Lions: 3-3
t-3. Bears: 3-3

Now here’s the lineup for the NFC North in Week 8:

Vikings: vs. Saints (5-1)
Packers: at Rams (7-0)
Bears: vs. Jets (3-4)

The two teams above the Lions are facing teams that have lost a single game combined, while the Bears host a flailing Jets team.

The Lions can finish anywhere between first and last place after this week. So today’s Question of the Day is:

What place will the Lions be after Week 8?

My answer: Second. As you’ve seen from my On Paper article, I think the Lions will defeat the Seahawks this week. That means they won’t finish below third. There’s a good chance both the Vikings and the Packers lose their games, which would mean Detroit jumps to first.

However, the NFL doesn’t always work out like it looks like it should. I don’t know which team it will be, but I think either the Packers or the Vikings pull off the upset this week and stay ahead of the Lions for another week—potentially setting up a huge game next week in Minnesota between the Lions and Vikings.

Your turn.