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JDETROIT — Jared Goff threw for a landing and accomplished a game-sealing first down towards the staff that forged him away, and the Detroit Lions gained a playoff recreation for the primary time in 32 years, beating Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 on Sunday evening.
The Lions (13-5) ended a nine-game postseason dropping streak — the longest in NFL historical past — that dated to a victory over Dallas on Jan. 5, 1992. They misplaced a house playoff recreation two years later and hadn’t hosted one since.
Detroit may have two residence playoff video games for the primary time in franchise historical past, internet hosting both Tampa Bay or Philadelphia within the divisional spherical subsequent Sunday.
The Rams (10-8) had an opportunity to take the lead late within the fourth quarter, however Detroit’s protection held. A holding penalty pushed Los Angeles out of subject aim vary, and Stafford — the Lions’ longtime quarterback who gained a Tremendous Bowl after he was traded to the Rams — threw incomplete on fourth down.
On the primary play after the two-minute warning, Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for 11 yards, permitting the Lions to expire the clock — a lot to the delight of long-suffering followers who witnessed the franchise’s second postseason victory since profitable the 1957 NFL title.
Towards the franchise he as soon as led to the Tremendous Bowl, Goff was 22 of 27 for 277 yards and threw a 2-yard landing cross to rookie tight finish Sam LaPorta that put Detroit forward 21-10 halfway via the second quarter. The Lions acquired Goff and a pair of first-round picks for Stafford three years in the past.
Stafford, who performed many of the recreation with a bandaged and bloody hand after he slammed it right into a defender’s helmet, completed 25 of 36 for 367 yards with two touchdowns. Report-breaking rookie Puka Nacua had 9 receptions for 181 yards.
David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs every had a dashing landing for the Lions, and St. Brown had seven receptions for 110 yards.
The Lions scored on their first two drives to take a 14-3 lead.
The Rams obtained inside 21-17 at halftime because of Stafford’s 50-yard landing cross to Nacua and his 38-yarder to Tutu Atwell.
Michael Badgley’s season-long, 54-yard subject aim gave the Lions a seven-point lead halfway via the third quarter.
The Rams moved the ball at will for a lot of the sport, however needed to accept brief subject objectives by Brett Maher on drives late within the third and halfway via the fourth to get inside 24-23 with 8:10 remaining.
Stafford has made a profession of fourth-quarter comebacks, a truth the followers at Ford Area had been properly conscious of. With an opportunity to place the Rams forward for the primary time, he led a drive to the Detroit 34, however the Lions’ protection compelled him backwards from there.
Detroit took over with 4:07 to go, and Los Angeles had just one timeout left after calling two earlier within the half to deal with a crowd as loud as a blaring siren. That allowed Goff to take a knee after his throw to St. Brown.
The Lions began robust and seemed as fired up as their long-suffering followers, with rapper and Motor Metropolis native Eminem in the home together with Corridor of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson.
The followers showered Stafford with boos when he ran onto the sphere, the place he posed for a pregame photograph together with his spouse and their daughters, and chanted “Jar-ed Goff! Jar-ed Goff” for the Lions’ third-year quarterback.
Rams: Stafford’s proper hand was taped up after it was minimize within the second quarter and he walked off the sphere slowly after getting hit by two Lions late within the third. … RB Kyren Williams had a hand damage within the fourth quarter. … TE Tyler Higbee limped off the sphere, favoring his proper leg, after taking a low hit within the fourth. … S Jordan Fuller, the staff’s second-leading tackler, was dominated out after being listed as questionable with an ankle damage.
Lions: WR/KR Kalif Raymond, TE James Mitchell and CB Jerry Jacobs had been inactive.
