Jared Goff threw for a touchdown and was the first to complete a game-sealing against the team that threw him away, and the Detroit Lions won a playoff game for the first time in 32 years, defeating Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 defeated. Sunday night.
The Lions (13-5) ended a nine-game postseason losing streak — the longest in NFL history — that dated to a win over Dallas in January 1992. They lost a home game in the play two years later -offs and hadn’t organized one since.
Detroit will play two home games for the first time in franchise history, hosting either Tampa Bay or Philadelphia in the divisional round next Sunday.
“I played for the city. This city has deserved this for so long,” said defenseman Aidan Hutchinson, who grew up as a Lions fan in the Detroit area. “The fans have experienced many years of bad football.”
The Rams (10-8) had a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, but Detroit’s defense held firm. A holding penalty pushed Los Angeles out of field goal range, and Stafford — the Lions’ longtime quarterback who won a Super Bowl after being traded to the Rams — threw incomplete on fourth down.
On the first play after the two-minute warning, Goff hit Amon-Ra St Brown for 37 feet, allowing the Lions to run out the clock – much to the delight of long-suffering fans witnessing the franchise’s second postseason victory since winning the match. 1957 NFL title.
“Hats off to the Lions. I have nothing but respect for that group,” said Rams head coach Sean McVay.
Against the franchise he led to the Super Bowl five years ago, Goff was 22 of 27 for 277 yards and threw a two-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Sam LaPorta to give Detroit a 21-10 lead midway through the second quarter to put. The Lions acquired Goff and a pair of first-round picks for Stafford three years ago.
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Stafford, who played most of the game with a bandaged and bloody hand after driving it into a defender’s helmet, finished 25 of 36 for 367 yards with two touchdowns. Record-breaking rookie Puka Nacua had nine receptions for 181 yards.