DETROIT: The Detroit Lions defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31–23 in the divisional round on Sunday to continue their incredible season and make their first trip to the NFC Championship Game since 1991.
A trip to the Super Bowl is on the line for Detroit when they visit the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. A closer look at each team’s performance is provided below:
For the first time in team history, Detroit was hosting its second playoff game in the same playoffs, and the offense got off to a poor start.
The first, second, and third quarters ended in a stalemate, but the Lions took the lead in the fourth when rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs ignited the ground attack.
Positive trend: Aidan Hutchinson, a second-year edge rusher, has recorded eight sacks in his last four games, one of which came against Tampa Bay. Hutchinson stated he “figured out my own identity” throughout the three games he had played without a sack before that. For the fourth time since team sacks were made official in 1963, the Lions’ defense recorded three sacks in a postseason game.
QB breakdown: Goff completed 30 of 43 passes for 287 yards. For the first time in his career, he threw two touchdowns in a postseason game. Following 334 total net yards against the Los Angeles Rams in their wild-card game, the Lions finished with 391 yards of total offense versus Tampa Bay. In the 4th quarter, Goff completed 11 of 12 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.
The Lions’ secondary is the biggest weakness in the strategy. With eight catches for 147 yards, Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans tormented Detroit’s defense, and the Buccaneers amassed 349 passing yards. The Lions also had trouble covering rookie receiver Puka Nacua during their wild-card game against the Los Angeles Rams. Nacua went off for 181 receiving yards on nine receptions, including a
Coach Todd Bowles of the Buccaneers advised his team all week to “weather the storm in the first quarter” against the Lions, who had the highest-scoring first quarter offense in the league (2023), but the players were more hurt in the fourth quarter. They let up two scores to Goff and company, who in the last quarter completed 11 of 12 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Baker Mayfield sealed the deal for Detroit with a crushing interception on the Bucs’ last drive.
Inside linebacker Devin White referred to this as the Bucs’ “Revenge Tour” ending here, as there was no chance to exact revenge for their Week 11 defeat to the 49ers and no chance to exact revenge against the Lions following a Week 6 loss. After Tom Brady announced his retirement, the Bucs did, however, surprise many outside the team by going 10-9 despite losing five of their first six games and raising doubts about Bowles’ employment future halfway through the season. Now, as the Bucs head into the summer, concerns about two important offensive players—Mayfield and wide receiver Mike Evans—loom.
QB breakdown: Mayfield threw three touchdowns and two interceptions on 26 of 41 passes for 349 yards. After a botched 2-point conversion try, Mayfield found Evans for a 16-yard touchdown on fourth-and-14 with the game behind 31-17 in the fourth quarter. This made the score 31-23. Mayfield’s first pick came on the Bucs’ opening possession after safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepted a tipped pass intended for Evans, giving the Lions a field goal that was kicked 23 yards. With 1:35 left in the game and the Bucs trailing by eight points, he made his second pick, the game-winning one.
The Bucs pressed Goff on 26% of his dropbacks while blitzing 47% of the time, which was the biggest flaw in the game plan. Despite being fired twice, he seemed to be unmoved by anything the Bucs threw at him.
Crucial play: With 3:51 remaining in the third quarter, the Lions attempted a fourth-and-goal play at the Tampa Bay 1-yard line, and running back Craig Reynolds ran it up the middle for a score. According to ESPN Analytics, the Lions’ chances of winning the game were increased by 70.5% as a result of their decision to go for it.
astonishing NextGen stat: On Sunday, Mayfield was sacked twice in less than 3.10 seconds. The two fastest sacks of the season w
The San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions are vying for a spot in Super Bowl LVIII in the NFC Championship Game.
The 49ers, who are hosting the conference championship, have made the most appearances in NFL history (19), while the Lions have only made two, which is tied for 30th place all-time. This information comes from research done by ESPN Stats & Information.
Two seasons after winning three games, Detroit has a chance to get to the Super Bowl for the first time since it all began in January 1967. The last time the Lions played for a league championship was in 1957. For the third time this century and for the eighth time overall, San Francisco hopes to play in the Super Bowl.
The most significant and unforgettable plays
ere from Hutchinson (2.77 seconds) and Ifeatu Melifonwu (3.07 seconds), the safety. — Jenna Laine
In the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, the Detroit Lions didn’t take long to score.
At 1:42 of the first drive, second-year receiver Jameson Williams broke loose for an end-around touchdown run of 42 yards.
His play was the fourth-longest rush by a wide receiver in NFL playoffs history and the second-longest rushing touchdown by a wide receiver in NFL playoff history.
Williams’ touchdown run was also the 49ers’ sixth, including playoff, 40-yard rush permit this season, tying them with the Denver Broncos for the most in the NFL. — Eric Woodyard
