The NFL Network and NFL.com have been talking playoffs and what each team can do in order to qualify in the upcoming season.

NFL Network has been examining teams’ 2018 schedules and projecting what their record could look like if they were able to able to make the playoffs.

Former players James Jones and Maurice Jones-Drew discuss which games are important for the Detroit Lions, why they need to get off to a hot start and how a strong finish to the season could mean a playoff berth.

Check out their analysis in the video below:

Marc Sessler of NFL.com also explored how the Lions could make the playoffs and gave his top five reasons why:

Matthew Stafford operating at peak levels A legitimate offensive line At last, a juicy backfield Golden Tate, Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay Matt Patricia

What’s interesting about this list is that there is only a single reference to the Lions defense beyond the fact that their coach is a former defensive coordinator. “Detroit’s defense lacks star power and depth,” says Sessler, “but Patricia is a brainy, charismatic leader who specializes in making the most of his players.”

As I pointed out in my latest Mailbag if the Lions are able to establish even moderate success in the run game, their offense has the potential to execute as one of the elites in the game, but their overall team success likely falls on the how quickly the defense can develop.

If the Lions defense struggles to learn the new system and gets off to a slow start to the season, as we saw in the video above, it would be potentially devastating for the Lions playoff chances.

This offense needs to operate at a high level and the expectations that they will are part of the success dynamic, but the biggest catalyst in determining the Lions’ playoff chances likely lies in how the defense performs in the first quarter of the season.