ESPN: Lions face NFL's toughest task in final four foes

If you've been following along, you've probably heard it mentioned the Detroit Lions have a difficult stretch of games to close the season. According to one ESPN analyst, no team faces a tougher final four opponents than the Lions. 

Mike Clay, a fantasy football writer who specializes in projections for ESPN, ranks Detroit's remaining schedule 32nd on Wednesday. 

Strictly from a numerical standpoint, Detroit's final four opponents — Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Tennessee and Minnesota — have a combined winning percentage of .625. Only Miami and the New York Jets have it worse to close the season. The Dolphins' final four games are against teams with a staggering .688 winning percentage. 

As it currently stands, all four of Detroit's final four opponents are playoff-bound. The Vikings moved into the No. 7 and final seed in the NFC after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday. 

At 5-7, the Lions currently sit a game behind the Vikings and Arizona Cardinals in the playoff picture, but the difficulty of the remaining schedule adds perspective on the uphill climb the hometown team faces. 

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers