Detroit In a divisional-round playoff game on Sunday, Jared Goff completed two touchdown passes to help the Detroit Lions defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23. This victory sent the long-struggled team into the NFC championship for the first time in thirty-two years and only the second time in franchise history.
For the first time since 1957, their last NFL championship year, the Lions (14-5) have won two playoff games in a single season.
Next Sunday, they take on San Francisco, the NFC’s top seed, in an attempt to earn a spot in their first-ever Super Bowl.
3 Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions rushes for a touchdown against Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter on Sunday. Getty Images Jahmyr Gibbs ran through a huge hole for a tiebreaking, 31-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and Goff made it a two-TD lead when he connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 9-yard score with 6:22 left. Baker Mayfield threw three TD passes for Tampa Bay (10-9), including a 16-yard toss to Mike Evans that got 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, the QB’s second pick of the day. The Lions kneeled to run out the clock as their fans stood, screamed and twirled white towels.
