Adam Schefter speaks out about possibility Lions rest starters on MNF vs. 49ers

ESPN’s Adam Schefter pondered the possibility that the Detroit Lions could rest their starters Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers.

Based on the standings, only the Lions or Minnesota Vikings can get the No. 1 seed in the NFC and that’ll be determined next Sunday night when the two clash. So essentially, with the No. 2 seed locked in by the Philadelphia Eagles, the Lions have a “meaningless” game against the 49ers.

So, will the Lions and Dan Campbell play it safe? Or go for the win?

“There’s nothing to play for. You’re on a short week. You play the Vikings. Then Dan says ‘We’re gonna try to win this game,’” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. “I’m like, okay. I mean, if you listen to his quotes, this is who they are. They are built on grit and toughness. They go for it. They’re going to go for it tonight. Now, again, I think you have to see how the game is flowing and what’s happening. 

“And I think they’re going in with the mindset, we’re going to try to win this game again. This is in talking to them, they’re like, well, we could become the 10th team in NFL history to have 15 regular season wins. I said, Okay, bravo. Good for that. They’re like, well, we don’t want to take away from the energy and the momentum that we built. Okay, but again, (the Lions are) in a short week. Everything is riding on Sunday night, but they’re not thinking the way we’re thinking. They’re just not thinking that.” 

Dan Campbell, Lions going all out in final two games?

With myriad injuries, the Lions have managed to keep winning and could get home field advantage throughout the playoffs. But why risk more?

“Now, for me, it’s hard to imagine that you’re going to run Jahmyr Gibbs into the ground tonight when David Montgomery is gone, but they remember that they lost to this team,” Schefter said. “They think that they can just go out and be tough every week, and Dan Campbell has been pretty adamant they’re going to keep playing. Now, if they’re up two touchdowns in the third fourth quarter, could we see a quicker hook? Yes. 

“Could certain situations in the game enter into his thinking? It would be illogical to think that they wouldn’t, but going into the game, their mindset is we are going out there to win the game, and we’ll see how the game unfolds and how he handles it from there.”

The Lions take on the 49ers at 8:15 p.m. ET Monday before taking on the Vikings next Sunday night in the season finale with the No. 1 seed on the line. The loser will be the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs and be on the road in the first round.