Detroit Lions Playoff Opponent Set, N.W.A. Being Honored, Fat Joe & More Fight For Healthcare Reform

Detroit Lions to Take On Former QB in Playoffs

Congratulations to the Detroit Lions! They have clenched the NFC North title after their great 30-20 win over Minnesota last night. At the press conference after the game, Coach Dan Campbell said, "Coming out of what we did last week, you know, it was a tough loss. And to come in this week, man, mentally locked in, ready to roll, right mindset. It was a back and forth game, but I thought all three phases, we complimented each other and really came out to finish this season off the right way and get a win. And now we've done all we can do to this point, as far as, now we wait and see what happens. I was really, really proud of the guys, really proud of them" That's so great.

Well, now they're going to host their first playoff game in 30 years at Ford Field, and they're going to do that against none other than former Lions quarterback, Matt Stafford and the Rams. Regarding that game, Coach Campbell said, "This team's ready. They've been through it all and they're battle tested. They're scarred to perfection and we will be ready". One step at a time, right? That's all you can ask. Lions fans everywhere are so excited about this, right? You can check out the game this Sunday on NBC at 8:00 PM and it's a holiday the next day. So, hopefully you don't have to work. Even I may be able to catch the game on Sunday! I hope that they win for the city and the fans who have been waiting forever for this. If you missed yesterday's game, check out the highlights here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUXnt0_SlFs&pp=ygUbbGlvbnMgdnMgdmlraW5ncyBoaWdobGlnaHRz

Grammy's Honoring N.W.A. 

Well, congratulations are in order to N.W.A. The Grammys announced that this year they're gonna be honored with a lifetime achievement award. Others that are going to receive the same award include people like Gladys Knight, Donna Summer, The Clark Sisters, and a few more. Plus, DJ Kool Herc is going to be honored with a merit award as well. How can you not honor him? Past hip-hop merit award recipients include Salt N Pepa, Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Slick Rick and Run DMC. So, it's a big deal as always. Those awards will be presented to them on February 3rd in Los Angeles.

Fat Joe and others will be in Washington D.C. this week to push for clearer pricing on healthcare.Fat Joe, Wyclef & More Advocate for Clearer Healthcare Pricing

We may see better healthcare prices if Fat Joe, Wyclef Jean and Jelly Roll have anything to say about it. They have teamed up to advocate for clearer pricing in healthcare. They're actually going to be in Washington D.C. this Wednesday for an event that's put together by Power to the Patients. They're pushing for people to be able to see real hospital prices for medical procedures. They say that clearer prices allow consumers to choose affordable treatments without feeling like they're going to be bankrupt just for preventative care and things like that. And it also forces companies to compete and stuff. So, I'm all here for that. I hope that they make some headway for everybody because it's much needed.

The Detroit Lions are NFC North champions and in the playoffs. Next stop: Las Vegas. Okay, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. But, there's a real possibility the Lions could go all the way this year. Who wouldn't want to lose to the Ravens on the big stage? Just joking, but let's admit that the Baltimore Ravens are likely heading to the Super Bowl and seem very hard to beat right now. So, what are the Detroit Lions Super Bowl odds going into the postseason?

Some key things have to fall into place to make the Lions Super Bowl bound. Of course, the main thing is that we have to overcome our opponents in the playoffs. Throughout this season of my podcast, "The Squad with Anne Erickson," we've talked about the best and worst matchups for the Lions. Several guests have commented on both the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers being potentially very difficult teams for the Lions to beat, based on each teams' strengths and weaknesses. I would throw the Seattle Seahawks into that mix, too, since the Lions haven't been able to overcome them in the Dan Campbell era.

Now, I do think the Lions could beat the Eagles. This isn't the same team it was at the beginning of the season. All due respect to my Eagles friends, but there are holes in the team right now, and I believe that in the right situation, the Lions could beat them. Also, they have Matt Patricia heading up their defense, which is great for any team going up against them. Spoken like a true Lions fan, right? That said, I believe a Detroit Lions Super Bowl run would depend on the 49ers getting taken out in an early upset game. I think it would be difficult for the Lions to overcome the 49ers but not impossible. Now, let's get into the real numbers.

The Detroit Lions are having one of the best years in the history of the franchise. They have the division title and will likely be the No. 3 seed going into the wildcard round, meaning they'll host that first game. The Lions are hoping to win a playoff game for the first time since 1991.

According to Lineups.com, the Detroit Lions' NFC Winner Odds are +900. The Detroit Lions' Super Bowl 58 Odds at +2200. So, what does that mean? Read on for the explaination.

The Detroit Lions currently have the eighth-ranked odds in the league to win the Super Bowl at +2200. That's around a 5% chance. Their odds of making the playoffs are -10000. Not bad, but I think we deserve a bit higher.

Lineups.com says last weekend's Cowboys game, albeit frustrating, shows that the Lions could make it to the Super Bowl. "The Lions performance against the Dallas Cowboys last Saturday on primetime was eye opening for all the right reasons," they state.

They add, "Even in a loss, that type of performance was much needed to give Lions backers assurance that they can compete with them in a potential rematch in the playoffs."

NFL writer Arif Hasan joins me on “The Squad with Anne Erickson” this week to talk about all things NFL, including who the Lions should want to go up against in the playoffs. Listen to the full discussion below. Subscribe to “The Squad with Anne Erickson” wherever you listen to podcasts, and hit me up here.

Jared Goff and company's next challenge is the Lions vs. Vikings game this Sunday (Jan. 7) at 1 p.m. EST. This game isn't super important to the Lions, as they'll probably end up a No. 3 seed regardless. What will be interesting is to see who clinches the No. 6 seed and goes up against the Lions in the wildcard round.