Lions beat Buccaneers to reach first NFC championship game in 32 years
Jared Goff threw two touchdown passes and the Detroit Lions defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 in their divisional playoff game on Sunday, sending the long-suffering franchise to the NFC Championship was lifted. history.
The Lions have won two playoff games in a season for the first time since 1957, the last year they won the NFL title. They’ll play the NFC’s top seed San Francisco next Sunday for a spot in the Super Bowl — a game they’ve never played in.
“We’re a high-powered team, but we have the guys to do it, and that’s why we’re here,” said Lions defenseman Aidan Hutchinson, who grew up in the Detroit area. “We’re going to San Fran and we can’t wait.”
Jahmyr Gibbs raced through a huge hole early in the fourth quarter for a 31-yard tiebreaker, and Goff made it a two-TD lead when he connected with Amon-Ra St Brown for a nine-yard score with 6:22 remaining to go. .
Baker Mayfield threw three TD passes for Tampa Bay, including a 16-yard toss to Mike Evans that brought the Bucs within one score with 4:37 left. Detroit couldn’t run out the clock on offense, giving Tampa Bay one last chance, but Mayfield’s pass over the middle was intercepted by linebacker Derrick Barnes. It was the QB’s second pick of the day.
Goff finished 30 of 43 for 287 yards and directed an efficient offense in the second half for the Lions, who had long touchdown drives on three straight possessions. St Brown had eight catches for 77 yards, and his TD catch capped a masterful 10-play, 89-yard drive.
Gibbs, an electric rookie that Tampa Bay didn’t face when they lost to Detroit in the regular season, had 74 yards rushing on nine carries and four receptions for 40 yards.
Mayfield was 26 of 41 for 349 yards. His early shot went out of the hands of Mike Evans, and his late one was an ill-advised throw. Evans had eight receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown.
Rachaad White had 55 yards rushing on nine carries, a total coach Todd Bowles might regret not being higher, and four catches for 36 yards.
The lions, and them fans desperate for a winnerHere’s hoping their second NFC title game appearance turns out better than the first when Washington routed them 41-10 in January 1992.
The Lions knelt to run out the clock while their fans stood, shouted and twirled white towels as they watched the 49ers.
‘They are the best. Now take a look around. They won’t be leaving here anytime soon,” Goff said. “And this is our last for them and they were just as special tonight as they were last week. But they deserve it. They deserve this. They deserve to enjoy this and hope to be able to offer them much more in the future.”