After defeating the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round last week, the Detroit Lions and their supporters had to
wait a long time to rejoice.
Taking advantage of hosting a postseason game for the first time in thirty years, the Lions won their first playoff
game in thirty-two years.
For the first time in franchise history, Detroit is playing two home games in the same round of the playoffs, which
increases the team’s odds of winning two postseason games in a season for the first time since capturing the 1957
NFL championship. With their victory over Philadelphia, the Bucs became the first NFC team to make it to the
postseason for four
straight years. Since 2020, only the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champion, have won as many
postseason games as the Bucs.
With a victory on Sunday against NFC South champion Tampa Bay, which captured the championship for the second
time in Super Bowl 55 with quarterback Tom Brady, NFC North champion Detroit can advance farther toward
perhaps making their first Super Bowl appearance.
In his ninth season with the long-suffering Lions, offensive tackle Taylor Decker said he is just grateful he stayed
around long enough to feel the excitement of the thrilling 24-23 victory over the Rams.
“That’s one of the beautiful things about sports, is to be able to see things through,” Decker stated. “I’m just proud
that I got to be a part of something special.”
Both Baker Mayfield of Tampa Bay and Jared Goff of Detroit were selected first overall two years apart, but they
were selected by different clubs, and both have experienced some postseason success.
In last week’s victory over the Rams and former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, Ford Field supporters were
yelling, “Jar-ed Goff! Jar-ed Goff!” early and often. The eighth-year player was productive and successful.
Goff finished 22 of 27 throws for 277 yards and a touchdown, having completed his first ten passes.
Zyon McCollum of Tampa Bay remarked, “He’s a really good quarterback — one of the best I’ve seen on film.”
Mayfield, who Cleveland selected in the 2018 draft, may have enjoyed his greatest season as a member of his fourth
team in three years. In the regular season, he set career highs with 4,044 yards passing and 28 touchdown passes. In
the postseason, he became the first quarterback in Buccaneers history to pass for at least 300 yards and three
touchdowns.
Todd Bowles, the coach of Tampa Bay, remarked, “He looks like he’s having fun like he was in college.” “He’s going
to the field, acting carefree and liberated. It’s incredibly beneficial to both of us and to him.”
Last week, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, a defensive back for the Lions, verbally attacked Mayfield by complimenting
Tampa Bay’s receivers and stating that they would be an excellent team if they had a quality quarterback.
Mayfield added a shot and reciprocated some nice remarks.
He’s a talented player, Mayfield remarked. “But yeah, he’s just got to do a little more film study.”
