In the end, the 66,367 fans at Ford Field for the Detroit Lions’ first home playoff game in 30 years were treated to an epic battle by the two protagonists in onecontentmb-0756-2bf01f.webp the most anticipated games in Lions history. They jeered Matthew Stafford when he ran on the field and sang Jared Goff’s name.
In front of the group and coach who benched him five years after selecting him as the top selection in the 2016 draft, Goff completed 22 of 27 passes for 277 yards and one touchdown.
GOFF THE HERO: Jared Goff delivered a huge victory in the playoffs for the Detroit Lions just when they needed it.
Stafford threw for 367 yards and two touchdowns against the team he spent 12 seasons with before demanding the trade that earned him a Super Bowl ring and sent Goff and three draft picks to Detroit to kickstart the Lions’ rebuild. However, he was unable to produce one of his famous comebacks in the stadium he once called home.
With just over 4 minutes remaining, Aidan Hutchinson was called for a holding penalty, which stopped the Rams’ drive into Lions territory. On the next play, quarterback Jared Goff passed for two first downs, and the Lions defeated the Rams 24-23 to win their first postseason game in 11,697 days.
Next week at Ford Field at 3 p.m. on Sunday, NBC, the Lions will play host to the winner of Monday’s divisional round game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles.
On January 8, 1994, the Lions hosted their final playoff game and were defeated 28–24 by the Green Bay Packers. They defeated the Dallas Cowboys 38–6 on January 5, 1992, to win their last postseason game.
MONARREZ: Upon his return to Ford Field, Matthew Stafford received the just punishment he deserved.
Coach Sean McVay of the Rams decided to punt on fourth-and-14 from the Lions’ 44-yard line after Stafford failed to complete a throw on third-and-14 following Hutchinson’s crucial holding call.
After a David Montgomery run, the Lions began their game-winning drive at their own 17-yard line. Goff then completed a short pass to Montgomery, who gained 11 yards.
Before the two-minute warning, Montgomery ran once more, and the Rams, who had already used two timeouts to avoid delay-of-game penalties in the second half, preserved their last timeout.
IMMEDIATE COLUMN: Upon his return to Ford Field, Matthew Stafford received the just punishment he deserved.
However, Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown for an 11-yard pass on the opening play following the two-minute warning, leading to a first down.
Fans chanted “Jared Goff” as he raised his arms in excitement following the first touchdown. Goff, who led the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018 before losing favor with McVay, took three knees to close the game.
In a frantic first half, the Rams and Lions exchanged uppercuts, with Goff and Stafford facing their former teams.
After completing his first ten throws, Goff guided the Lions to TDs on three consecutive plays. Montgomery rushed five times for 24 yards and scored on a 1-yard run, while he finished 5-for-5 for 51 yards on the first drive.
After a pass interference call on Brian Branch on third-and-4, the Rams responded with a 24-yard field goal by Brett Maher, but the Lions’ next possession resulted in a 10-yard touchdown run by Jahmyr Gibbs, giving them a 14-3 lead.
IMMEDIATE COLUMN: Upon his return to Ford Field, Matthew Stafford received the just punishment he deserved.
However, Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown for an 11-yard pass on the opening play following the two-minute warning, leading to a first down.
Fans chanted “Jared Goff” as he raised his arms in excitement following the first touchdown. Goff, who led the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2018 before losing favor with McVay, took three knees to close the game.
In a frantic first half, the Rams and Lions exchanged uppercuts, with Goff and Stafford facing their former teams.
On the Rams’ second possession, the Lions had opportunities to get off the field, but their weak secondary was outplayed for two key plays. To maintain the drive, Demarcus Robinson outran Kindle Vildor for a 19-yard gain on third-and-15. Then, on a stutter-and-go on a third-and-1, Puka Nacua easily scored a 50-yard touchdown by running past Cam Sutton.
After the Rams completed their own fourth-and-5 with a 6-yard pass to Cooper Kupp, Goff responded with an 11-play, 75-yard drive that was capped with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta on fourth-and-1. Stafford then responded with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Tutu Atwell.
Before the half, the Lions had an opportunity to increase their lead, but Taylor Decker was flagged for a dubious false start on fourth-and-5 from the 41-yard line while the team attempted to pull the Rams offsides. Officials determined that Decker flinched first when Rams outside linebacker Earnest Jones looked to jump in the neutral zone, prompting Decker and left guard Jonah Jackson to move.
The Lions led 24–17 after Michael Badgley’s 54-yard field goal on their opening play of the second half. In the remaining 20 minutes, the Lions restricted the Rams to just two field goals to secure the victory.
Nacua finished with nine catches for 181 yards for the Rams, while St. Brown finished with seven catches for 110 yards.
