ALLEN PARK, Mich. — They’ve seen a lot and experienced a lot. They’ve plowed through the thickest tension imaginable, on almost every stage possible, winning many more than they’ve lost.

But the Detroit Lions have never faced anything quite like this. In fact, no game in NFL history has held the stakes and circumstances the Lions and Minnesota Vikings are about to encounter.

It’s not win-or-go-home, but win-and-stay-home. It’s not a playoff game, but it certainly will feel like it. It’s a pair of 14-2 teams who have separated from everybody on their schedules, except each other. There’s never been an NFL regular-season finale with such gaudy records and bizarre consequences.

The winner Sunday night in Ford Field wraps up the NFC North title, captures the No. 1 seed, earns a bye week and guarantees it will host every game it plays up until the Super Bowl. The loser’s parting gifts? A polite pat for the best record ever for a No. 5 seed (14-3), then an immediate shove into a playoff path that almost certainly will be entirely on the road. A much, much more treacherous task, although not impossible.

The Lions have been here before, in the incredible din of their home stadium, which certainly helps. Except they haven’t been exactly here before, with such stark ramifications.

“I do think that (experience) helps,” Dan Campbell said Friday. “If it’s shock-and-awe and it’s the crowd and it’s the media attention and it’s the record of the opponent, division game, all on the line — if you’re not used to that, it can be a little overwhelming. We’ve been in that, and I think we embrace the challenge of it, we embrace the bright lights of it, we respect the opponent that’s coming in here, and we love competition.”

It seems ridiculous and redundant that the Lions and Vikings have proven themselves superior to everyone in the NFC except maybe the Eagles (13-3), yet one will have a much tougher time proving it again. No, this isn’t a demand to change the NFL’s seeding system, which heavily rewards division champions, even if the champion has a significantly lesser record, such as the Rams (10-6), Buccaneers (9-7) or Falcons (8-8).

It’s kind of dumb that division standings dramatically outweigh overall records, but it’s rarely this wide of a gap. It’s just another twist of fate for the Lions, who have the league’s longest injury list and highest-scoring offense, and already beat the Vikings in Minnesota. This will be their seventh prime-time game this season, after winning twice in the playoffs a year ago, before falling in the NFC championship game.

“Stakes might be a little higher, but it’s just another game for us,” receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. “We’ve played in a lot of big games. This is just the next one in front of us. We have a lot of injuries, so being able to get some rest would be nice. Either way, I feel like we’ll be fine.”

That’s been the theme all week from the Lions, who are accustomed to dealing with various absurdities. They have 18 players on injured reserve, including seven starters, six on defense. The Vikings are on the extreme opposite end of the spectrum, with six players on injured reserve and only one starter, offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw.

The Lions under Campbell make no excuses, and none will be offered. Everything they’ve done the past two-and-a-half years has built to this. Could they still reach the Super Bowl without beating the Vikings and heading on the road? Sure, but it would be extremely daunting.

They boast one of the best home-field advantages in the league (they’re also 8-0 on the road, by the way), and they’re loaded with stars — seven Pro Bowl players, most in the NFC and most in franchise history. They have Jared Goff playing the best football of his career, an elite back in Jahmyr Gibbs, and play-making receivers in St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Their offensive line remains stellar, allowing Goff to run Ben Johnson’s creative (and occasionally crazy) scheme.

With the Vikings and Packers chasing so closely, the Lions have felt the urgency for a while. Now, for only the third time since 1975, two NFL teams will meet in the final game with the No. 1 seed on the line.

“It seems like we’ve been playing that way all year, feeling like you have to win every game,” Goff said. “I’m sure they feel the same way. It’ll be fun, a lot of energy in that building. We’ll be ready.”

So will the Vikings, presumably. They’ve won nine straight games, and their coach, Kevin O’Connell, has done for them what Campbell has done for the Lions. O’Connell revived the Vikings and quarterback Sam Darnold, just as the Lions revived Goff.

The Vikings’ authenticity has been questioned, partly because Darnold has been questioned. But the former No. 3 overall pick has been terrific, throwing for 4,153 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Most-feared receiver

The Vikings have won nine games by a touchdown or less, another suspicion-raiser. But they have the league’s most-feared receiver in Justin Jefferson (100 catches, 1,479 yards), along with rapidly rising Jordan Addison and an outstanding runner in Aaron Jones.

The Lions are 31 st in the league in passing yards allowed, which is foreboding, considering Jefferson has piled up 730 in his last four games at Ford Field. The Lions are missing their top cornerback, Carlton Davis, and might still be without linebacker Alex Anzalone. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn keeps patching and plugging, and lately has cranked up the blitzing. That puts more pressure on rookie Terrion Arnold and veteran Amik Robertson, who swears he can’t wait for it.

“It separates the boys from the men, separates the dogs from the wolves,” said Robertson, who plays beyond his 5-foot-9 stature. “Ford Field always feels like the Super Bowl, every time you’re in there. I understand the game is big. I’m not going to underestimate it, but I don’t overthink the game. … You go out there to hunt, not to be scared and be hunted. Go out there with confidence. Go out there and see blood.”

Yep, the Lions’ hellbent mentality is still in good shape. They always seem to have the mental edge on opponents, thanks to Campbell’s aggressive style. But based on injuries and Jefferson’s brilliance, the Vikings might have a slight physical edge. Their defense under Brian Flores blitzes more than any team in the league, and they’re No. 1 in interceptions and third in sacks. Goff, though, is a superb blitz-buster, and the Lions have scored at least 30 points in four straight victories over the Vikings.

The prelude to Sunday night occurred Oct. 20 in Minneapolis, when the Lions fell behind 10-0, rallied for a 28-17 lead, then pulled it out, 31-29, on a clutch drive and Jake Bates’ 44-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. The teams were as evenly matched then (the Lions led in yardage 391-383) as they are now.

The stars then are the stars now, from Gibbs to Goff to St. Brown for the Lions, to Jefferson, Darnold and Jones for the Vikings. As weird as this deadlock is, maybe it was inevitable, even fitting.

“So exciting, man, this is why you’re in this business,” Campbell said. “Players love it, coaches love it, great for the organization and great for football.”

Great theater, great tension, great stakes. Technically, it’s just another game before the playoffs, even though it most definitely, historically, is not.

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