ESPN: The Detroit Lions make a historic announcement about Jared Goff, prior to their game against the Vikings.

With significant playoff and divisional ramifications at stake, the Detroit Lions are getting ready for a crucial matchup against the Minnesota Vikings this weekend on “Sunday Night Football” in Detroit. With the last week of the regular season approaching, the winner will not only capture the NFC North championship but also the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. Both teams come into the game with identical 14-2 records. This entitles them to home-field advantage during the playoffs and the much-coveted first-round bye.

However, even though they finished with 14 victories and the second-best conference record, the team that loses this game will be relegated to the fifth seed and will have to travel for the first round of the playoffs.

Both teams have been propelled by outstanding quarterback performance with so much on the line. Sam Darnold, the signal-caller for the Vikings, has become a rising star, while Jared Goff, the quarterback for the Lions, has led one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses with an MVP-caliber season. On Thursday, both quarterbacks were formally named to the Pro Bowl, but Goff had an added historical significance. Goff is now only the second quarterback in Lions history to make multiple Pro Bowls, behind Bobby Layne, according to the team’s public relations department.

Bobby Layne’s career lasted from 1948 to 1962, which puts the significance of this for the Lions organization in perspective. Before concluding his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he spent his last season in Detroit in 1957.

This makes Goff’s accomplishment even more noteworthy since it means the Lions went more than 60 years without any quarterback earning two Pro Bowls. For an organization that has endured many setbacks over the years, it puts an end to a long run. One of the most important regular season games in the history of the team now takes place on Sunday night. The stakes are extremely high since the NFC North championship and the top seed are at stake. Given the injuries the Lions have sustained, especially on defense, the game becomes even greater significance. Jared Goff has been the driving force behind Detroit’s significant chance to guarantee a postseason bye.