The Detroit Lions are heading to the NFC Championship Sport after defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-23, at house on Sunday night time.
The Lions head to San Francisco subsequent week to face the 49ers.
It was an inauspicious begin for each groups on their first drives. The Lions wished the ball after successful the coin flip, however they went three-and-out to start out the sport.
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Josh Reynolds of the Detroit Lions catches a landing cross in opposition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through the second quarter of the NFC divisional playoff recreation at Ford Subject in Detroit on Jan. 21, 2024. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Pictures)
However the Lions’ protection would step up when quarterback Baker Mayfield took the sector for the primary time with the Bucs’ offense. Mike Evans, Mayfield’s traditional trusty goal, couldn’t haul in a ball he ought to’ve on Third-and-long, tipping it within the air the place security C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepted it to flip the sector.
And Gardner-Johnson even flipped the ball again to Mayfield, exhibiting everybody watching that this recreation was going to be either side going blow for blow. The Lions had been the primary to get factors on the board following the interception with a brief area purpose, making it 3-0. Nevertheless, the Bucs matched them with a area purpose of their very own.
It wasn’t till the third Lions drive that quarterback Jared Goff actually settled in and delivered a 14-play masterpiece that ended with a Josh Reynolds slant throughout the again of the top zone for the rating.
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Tampa Bay couldn’t match that rating, nevertheless it wasn’t for a scarcity of effort. They stored leaving free rushers that compelled Mayfield to both do away with the ball, or worse, fall to the turf for a sack. Then, Chase McLaughlin missed a 50-yard area purpose by banging it off the left purpose put up.
All of the momentum was with the Lions, however with lower than two minutes to play within the half, the Bucs acquired the ball again with sufficient time to probably get again into area purpose vary to chop into Detroit’s lead.
They determined to get into the top zone as an alternative.
Evans was the important thing goal for Mayfield on this drive, hauling in a 27-yard cross adopted by a 29-yarder that put the ball on Detroit’s two-yard line. Mayfield would then fade one to his tight finish Cade Otton within the again left of the top zone.
Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drops again to cross in opposition to the Detroit Lions through the second quarter of the NFC divisional playoff recreation at Ford Subject in Detroit on Jan. 21, 2024. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Pictures)
Identical to that, the sport was tied at 10 heading into the locker room.
The second half noticed extra back-and-forth play between these two groups battling for the fitting to play within the penultimate recreation of the season. Goff and the Lions had been the primary to interrupt the tie, going 10 performs and 64 yards with a landing on 4th-and-goal from the one-yard line, the place third-string operating again Craig Reynolds busted into the top zone.
However whereas momentum once more shifted to the house workforce, Mayfield delivered. On Third-and-10 from the Detroit 12-yard line, the Bucs referred to as the right operating again display screen because the Lions weren’t prepared for Rachaad White to catch a cross and have a convoy of blockers to run it into the top zone.
This set the tone for what the second half can be, and the scoring would proceed on the following Lions drive. The electrifying rookie operating again, Jahmyr Gibbs, delivered a 31-yard landing run that left the gang leaping as he used his pace to get previous Bucs security Antoine Winfield Jr.
Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers catches a cross in entrance of Cameron Sutton of the Detroit Lions through the second quarter of the NFC divisional playoff recreation at Ford Subject in Detroit on Jan. 21, 2024. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Pictures)
Detroit was lastly capable of get a cease on the Bucs after taking the lead as soon as extra, forcing a three-and-out. This was the second Lions followers felt them draw back within the fourth quarter, and that’s what Goff delivered with an 89-yard drive that noticed a superbly positioned cross to the again proper of the top zone for Amon-Ra St. Brown.
That marked three touchdowns in a row for the Lions, and with time persevering with to tick off within the fourth quarter, it was going to be a tough feat for Mayfield & Co. to battle all the best way again.
Nevertheless, Mayfield did his finest to maintain Tampa Bay within the recreation, discovering Evans for a 16-yard landing to make it 31-23. The Bucs determined to go for 2 factors, however Mayfield couldn’t join with Evans to make it a five-point recreation.
The thought behind going for 2 factors was being able to win it in regulation, however the Bucs nonetheless had an opportunity to tie the sport when the protection acquired the ball again with 1:59 left to play.
However simply two performs into the drive, Derrick Barnes learn a route completely, leaping a cross from Mayfield to Otton to seal the victory for Detroit.
Trying on the stat sheet, Goff completed with 287 yards on 30-of-43 passing with two touchdowns. Mayfield was 26-for-41 for 349 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions celebrates a landing in opposition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through the fourth quarter of the NFC divisional playoff recreation at Ford Subject in Detroit on Jan. 21, 2024. (Nic Antaya/Getty Pictures)
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Evans led the sport with 147 yards on eight receptions; St. Brown led the Lions with 77 yards and his rating on eight receptions. The Lions additionally had 114 dashing yards to the Bucs’ 89.
