Falcons beating the Saints, Jags, and Bucs and losing two to Carolina in the final weeks, still doesn't hamper our odds of making the playoffs.
Seattle winning out doesn't hamper our odds, as they would make the wild card as the #5 seed.
The only keys to us making the playoffs are winning out. Yes, it's unlikely, but not because we can't win out, because we're the Lions. It's as simple as that. The ONLY thing that makes it unlikely is that we as fans are negative on the chances of our team doing anything good.
We have a Thursday game against Green Bay at home. We SHOULD win that game. Can't say we will, but on paper, it's a home game against a team we already beat on the road that was just beat by the Bears. They are losing football games to bad teams. We should be able to beat them at home.
We follow that up with a road game against the Rams. We SHOULD be able to win that game with the disastrous injuries they've taken. Can't say we will, but they are playing very bad football right now.
We then have a road game against the Saints. They are already checking out of the building. Head coach is leaving. QB is leaving. Team is down in the dumps, and they have been as bad as us all year. It's a winnable game even on the road.
Up next is the 49'ers. I don't even need to explain why we SHOULD win this game. They are worse off than the Iggles right now. I don't think they can win another game this season. BUT, it's a potential trap game too. They will play spoiler for someone, could be us.
Lastly, we play in Chi-Town against the Bears. They are an injury away from not having a team. They never should have beaten Green Bay, and it speaks more to the weakness in GB this season than the rise of Da Bears. We SHOULD be able to win this game, but it's outdoors, cold climates, home field for the Bears... could be a loss.
Any of these games could be wins or losses, but on paper we SHOULD win them all. That's the point of the discussion. If the Lions beat the teams we SHOULD beat, we can still make the playoffs.
Our odds really boil down to the team doing what it should do, and Green Bay losing one they shouldn't. Oakland or Minny could beat Green Bay, giving us a paved road into the playoffs.
Like the cliche goes... Any Given Sunday, so what should happen on paper means nothing, but the majority of the arguments you brought up are not a factor.
Our odds, assuming we win these games, are either 99% or 1% depending on Green Bay and what happens there.