Both teams will be desperate for a win, with the prize of the NFC Championship game being on the line as well as being one step closer to the infamous Super Bowl game.
The Lions finally brought playoff joy to Ford Field after their 32-year absence of a playoff win. They defeated the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 in a game where quarterback Jared Goff led his team to history against the team that traded him to Detroit.
Goff threw for 277 yards and one touchdown. This partnered with 110 receiving yards from Amon-Ra St. Brown and touchdowns from David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Sam LaPorta saw the Lions just sneak past a very impressive Rams side.
For Tampa Bay, it was a much more straightforward victory for them in their wildcard game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Buccaneers came out 32-9 winners at the Raymond James Stadium. Baker Mayfield at quarterback made sure his nickname of ‘Playoff Baker’ was retained as he had a fantastic game, throwing for 337 yards and three touchdowns to lead his team to their third Divisional Round matchup in the last four seasons.
This game is a massive opportunity for both franchises. The Lions have never even made the Super Bowl final, let alone winning one. Detroit is one of just four teams to have never had the chance of lifting the Vince Lombardi, so a win here leaving them just one game away from the big game is the perfect motivation for Dan Campbell’s side to continue making history.
The Buccaneers have had much more success than the Lions in recent history. With their franchise being crowned Super Bowl champions in 2020 thanks to the infamous Tom Brady leading the Bucs to their second Super Bowl victory, with the first coming in 2002.
The Lions will be considered favourites for this matchup. They came into the playoffs as the third seed in the NFC whereas the Bucs are the fourth seed. A lot of pundits and analysts also favour the Lions due to the excellence that Goff has produced this season.
However, Mayfield is not a player to overlook. He has had a fantastic career in playoff games and with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to throw to this is going to be yet another close game for Detroit if they are going to prevail.
Team News
The big worry for Detroit is the fitness of tight end LaPorta. The rookie has 889 receiving yards this season and ten touchdowns and has been vital to the Lions' success this season. However, in the recently released injury report, LaPorta has been listed as questionable for their Divisional game. Although he only had 14 receiving yards in the Rams game, the Lions will definitely be weaker without the 23-year-old.
The Lions will also be without receiver Kalif Raymond who has suffered a knee injury and is confirmed out on the Lions injury report.
Tampa have no players who are confirmed to be missing this big game in Detroit. Outside linebacker, Shaquil Barrett has been listed as questionable as he is still recovering from an injury he sustained in their regular season victory over the Carolina Panthers. He is joined on the report by Chase Edmonds and John Wolford who are also questionable for the game.
Game Details
The game begins at 3:00 pm EST (8:00 pm BST) at Ford Field in Detroit. The game is available to watch on all major streaming networks in the US but is not being broadcast in the UK. Whoever wins the game will face either the San Fransisco 49ers or the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, January 28th.
