The Detroit Lions prevailed 24-23 over the Los Angeles Rams in their wild-card match on Sunday night, marking their first postseason victory in 22 years.
After a Brett Maher field goal for the Rams, David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs each ran for touchdowns to help the Lions get out to a quick start and take a 14-3 lead.
With two second-quarter touchdowns, including a spectacular 50-yard deep ball touchdown pass from former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua, LA stormed back into the game.
Notwithstanding the loss, Nacua had a career-high 181 yards and that touchdown on nine grabs, setting a postseason record for a rookie.
By halftime, Detroit's lead had been trimmed to 21-17 as Goff hit tight end Sam LaPorta, his favourite first-year target, for a two-yard touchdown. Stafford then found the goal zone once more, this time with Tutu Atwell rushing it in from 38 yards.
Only field goals were added to the tally after the break, disappointingly not igniting the gripping, end-to-end match that had taken off in the first half.
With eight minutes and ten seconds remaining in the game, Maher connected on two more attempts, cutting the Rams' deficit to just one. Michael Badgley had initially put one through the posts from 54 yards to increase the Lions' lead to seven.
However, the Detroit defence stood firm and forced their stop to prevent LA from taking the lead after they went three and out on their next possession. Goff and company then skillfully ran the final four minutes off the clock to seal a historic triumph.
Goff completed 22 of 27 passes for 277 yards and one touchdown during the game. Finished 25 of 36 passes for 367 yards and two touchdowns. It marked his first game back in Detroit since he was traded by the Lions in March 2021 in exchange for Goff and other draft assets.
Up Next:
The NFC playoff lineup for the Divisional Round is nearly finalised. After the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night, they will face the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, Detroit will host the winner of Monday night's Super Wild Card Weekend game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles.