By Pierson Van Gorp and James Herold
For the first time since Jan. 5, 1992, the Detroit Lions are victorious in the playoffs as with the help of quarterback Jared Goff, the Lions defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 24-23.
Not only was this the first playoff victory at Ford Field, but this game had higher significance as former Lions QB Matthew Stafford was traded to the Rams for Goff back in 2021, and a bundle of other high-draft picks who would be key contributors in their playoff debut. Notable players include wide receiver Jameson Williams, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and tight end Sam LaPorta. However, Stafford was able to bring the Rams a Super Bowl ring in his debut season which made the trade a win for LA.
During the first quarter of Sunday’s matchup, the Lions highlighted a X (formerly Twitter) post by Detroit Native Eminem (Marshall Mathers) that read “Let’s f****** go Detroit!!!! @Lions on the video board. It then cut to Eminem celebrating and flapping his arms in the stands as fans started to cheer.
During the pregame, Detroit fans booed Stafford as he ran through the tunnel for the first time since 2020. The stadium was electric in the Lion’s first playoff game since 2016, as many fans were experiencing their first-ever Lions playoff game.
The game lived up to the hype as Stafford and Goff dueled for the entire first half. Detroit came out swinging as they averaged 10 yards per play in their first two drives. Former Rams, Goff and WR Josh Reynolds, stepped up through the air with passing plays while RB David Montgomery and Gibbs were dominating on the ground in the running game. Stafford embraced the villain role as he was spectacular throughout the game. He reminded Lions fans of his time in Detroit with his side-arm throws, relentless toughness, and clutch factor.
After a 38-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to WR Tutu Atwell, the Rams cut the deficit to 21-17 as the first half came to an end. Both offenses seemed unstoppable and the outcome was surely going to be determined by who had the ball last.
However, this was not the case as both defenses stepped up in the second half. Both receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Lions and Puka Nacua of the Rams jumped over the 100-yard mark of receiving yards, but neither defense allowed a TD in the second half.
Each team traded field goals in the third quarter with the Rams getting another one in the fourth, but the Lions” defense continued to step up. Their coverage from the secondary started to shut down the Rams’ passing attack. The Lions’ second-ranked run defense in the NFL held LA to only 68 rushing yards.
Detroit had an opportunity to seal the win with a first down with under two minutes left and with a gutsy call from head coach Dan Campbell, Goff was able to connect with St. Brown for a first down and the Lions victory.
Goff finished with 277 passing yards and a touchdown while Stafford had 367 yards and two TDs. St. Brown ended up with seven catches for 110 yards and Nacua finished with a playoff record for rookie receiving yards in a game with 181 yards. Defensive right end Aidan Hutchinson tied the Lions’ record for playoff sacks in one game with two.
In a postgame interview with NBC Sports sideline reporter Melissa Stark, Goff was asked “What does this win mean for the team and the city?” Goff replied, “…It’s just the beginning.” To see the full interview that included Amon-Ra St. Brown and Aidan Hutchinson, click here.
As for the Rams QB Stafford, in a post-game press conference, told the media, “I’m happy for the players,” after MLive writer Kory E. Woods asked him if he’s happy for the city of Detroit, seeing as how he played his first 12 seasons here.
With the victory, the Detroit Lions improve to a 13-5 record and move on to the Divisional round of the playoffs. They will host another playoff game on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 3 p.m. and wait patiently for the result of the Philadelphia Eagles versus Tampa Bay Buccaneers game tonight.
The Lions will need to win 2 more games, the Divisional and Championship Round to reach the Super Bowl. The Lions last world championship was 1957 but that was before the Super Bowl was established. This means they have never been to or have won a Super Bowl.
