Lions maintain on vs. Buccaneers, head to NFC Championship Sport

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions stored their storybook season going and superior to their first NFC Championship Sport since 1991 with a 31-23 divisional-round victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Detroit will play the San Francisco 49ers on Jan. 28 with a Tremendous Bowl berth on the road. Here is a more in-depth take a look at every group’s efficiency:

Detroit Lions

Detroit, internet hosting its second playoff sport in the identical postseason for the primary time in franchise historical past, bought off to a gradual begin offensively.

The sport was tied on the finish of the primary, second and third quarters earlier than the Lions broke free within the fourth as rookie operating again Jahmyr Gibbs got here alive to spark the bottom assault.

Promising development: Over his previous 4 video games, second-year edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson has registered eight sacks — together with one towards Tampa Bay. Previous to that, Hutchinson went with out a sack in three straight video games, however stated he “discovered my very own identification” throughout that stretch. The Lions’ protection recorded three sacks in a playoff sport for the fourth time since group sacks grew to become official in 1963.

QB breakdown: Goff went 30-for-43 for 287 yards, and he threw for 2 touchdowns in a playoff sport for the primary time in his profession. The Lions ended with 391 yards of complete offense towards Tampa Bay after posting 334 complete web yards of their wild-card sport towards the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 14. Goff went 11-for-12 for 131 yards and a TD within the fourth quarter.

Greatest gap within the sport plan: The Lions’ secondary. Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans torched Detroit’s protection with eight catches for 147 yards, and the Buccaneers registered 349 passing yards. Throughout their wild-card matchup versus the Los Angeles Rams, the Lions additionally struggled to cowl rookie receiver Puka Nacua, who went off for 181 receiving yards on 9 catches — together with a 50-yard landing. That is an space of concern for the Lions when going through good receivers. — Eric Woodyard

Subsequent sport: Jan. 28 at San Francisco, 6:30 p.m. ET

Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles advised his gamers all week to “climate the storm within the first quarter” towards the Lions — the league’s highest-scoring first quarter offense in 2023 — however the fourth quarter stung them essentially the most. They surrendered two touchdowns to Goff and Co., who accomplished 11-of-12 passes for 131 yards and a landing within the ultimate body. On the Bucs’ ultimate drive, quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a devastating interception to seal it for Detroit.

This ended the Bucs’ “Revenge Tour” as inside linebacker Devin White put it, with no redemption towards the Lions after a Week 6 loss and no shot to avenge their Week 11 loss to the 49ers. The Bucs did, nonetheless, defy expectations exterior the group within the wake of Tom Brady’s retirement, ending the 12 months at 10-9 after dropping 5 of six video games halfway by way of the season with questions raised about Bowles’ job standing. Now, the Bucs enter the offseason with questions looming over two key figures on offense: Mayfield and broad receiver Mike Evans.

QB breakdown: Mayfield accomplished 26 of 41 passes for 349 yards with three TDs and two interceptions. On fourth-and-14, trailing 31-17 within the fourth quarter, Mayfield discovered Evans for a 16-yard landing to make it 31-23 (after a failed two-point conversion try). Mayfield’s first decide got here through the Bucs’ opening drive on a tipped move supposed for Evans that was intercepted by security C.J. Gardner-Johnson, establishing a 23-yard area purpose for the Lions. His second decide — and the game-ender — got here with 1:35 remaining and the Bucs trailing by eight.

Greatest gap within the sport plan: The Bucs pressured Goff on 26% of his dropbacks regardless of blitzing 47% of the time. He was sacked twice however appeared largely unaffected by every little thing the Bucs threw at him.

Pivotal play: The Lions went for it on fourth-and-goal on the Tampa Bay 1-yard line with 3:51 to go within the third quarter, and RB Craig Reynolds ran it up the center for a landing. The choice to go for it bolstered the Lions’ possibilities of successful the sport by 70.5%, in response to ESPN Analytics.

Eye-popping NextGen stat: Mayfield was sacked in below 3.10 seconds twice Sunday. He was sacked in 2.77 seconds by Hutchinson and in 3.07 seconds by security Ifeatu Melifonwu, marking the 2 quickest sacks he took all season. — Jenna Laine