DETROIT-. Jared Goff He threw two touchdown passes and Detroit Lions They beat the 31-23 Buccaneers de Tampa Bay Sunday in the divisional round game of the postseason, leading the long-suffering franchise to the NFC championship game for the first time in 32 years.
He took a knee on three consecutive plays to run out the clock, giving him a chance to enjoy the fans standing, yelling and waving their towels.
“I knew it would be the last moment in front of our home fans this year, and I wanted to enjoy everything,” Goff said.
The Lions (14-5) won two playoff games this season for the first time since 1957, the last year they won the NFL title. They will face San Francisco, the NFC’s top seed, next Sunday for a berth to the Super Bowl – a game they have never played in.
“I had a vision that we would have a chance to compete with the big guys, and that’s where we are,” said coach Dan Campbell, who was hired shortly before Goff was acquired.
Jahmyr Gibbs drove through a gaping hole for a 31-yard score that broke the tie early in the fourth quarter, and Goff turned it into a two-touchdown difference when he connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for a score on a nine-yard pass with 6 left. :22 to the game.
Baker Mayfield had three touchdown passes for Tampa Bay (10-9), including a 16-yarder to Mike Evans that brought the Bucs within a score with 4:37 left. Detroit couldn’t run out the clock on its possession, giving Tampa Bay one last chance, but Mayfield’s pass up the middle ended up intercepted by linebacker Derrick Barnes, the second pass stolen from him of the day.
“They are the best. Look around right now. They won’t be leaving here for a while,” Goff said. “It’s also our last game against them and they were very special today like last week. But they deserve this. They deserve to enjoy it and I hope to give them much more as we move forward.”
Goff completed 30 of 43 passes for a total of 287 yards and efficiently led the Lions’ offense in the second half, who had long touchdown possessions on three consecutive drives. St. Brown received eight passes for a total of 77 yards, and his score capped a masterful 10-play, 89-yard possession.
Mayfield completed 26 of 41 passes and accumulated 349 yards. His early interception slipped through Mike Evans’ hands, and the second was a botched pass. Evans had eight receptions for a total of 147 yards, along with a touchdown.
“It comes down to minimizing mistakes and I didn’t do that,” Mayfield said.
The NFC South champions ultimately came up short, ending a season in which they exceeded modest expectations, but that was little consolation.
“I feel like my heart has been ripped out,” Mayfield said as coach Todd Bowles lamented, “Anything other than the Super Bowl is a disappointment.”
The Lions and their success-hungry fans hope their second appearance in the NFC title game goes better than their first, when Washington swept them 41-10 on Jan. 12, 1992.
Source: AP
