DETROIT – The Detroit Lions took down Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams to win their first playoff game in 32 years.
Jared Goff threw for 277 yards and a touchdown, and the Lions’ defense held the Rams to just six points in the second half to secure the victory.
Thanks to a Cowboys loss, the Lions will host a divisional round game at Ford Field next weekend. They’ll play the winner of the Eagles-Buccaneers game, which kicks off on Monday night.
Offense dominates first half
In their first home playoff game in 30 years, the Lions came out firing on all cylinders. Goff went a perfect 5-for-5 on the opening drive and David Montgomery carried the ball five times for 24 yards and a 1-yard touchdown.
After the Rams drove down to the 6-yard line and settled for a field goal, the Lions put together a second-straight 75-yard touchdown drive, this time capped by a Jahmyr Gibbs 10-yard run.
Matthew Stafford answered on the following possession with his team down 14-3. After falling down for a 9-yard loss on the first play, he delivered a 19-yard strike to Demarcus Robinson on 3rd and 16 to keep the drive alive and then found Puka Nacua for a 50-yard touchdown.
The Lions weren’t fazed, though. They drove quickly down inside the Rams’ 10-yard line but then faced a 4th and 2 from the 2-yard line. Dan Campbell elected to go for the touchdown, and Goff found Sam LaPorta in the back of the end zone for the score.
But once again, the defense missed an opportunity to make a game-changing play. The Rams faced a 4th and 5 from Detroit’s 44-yard line, and Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for a 6-yard gain. On the next play, Stafford found Tutu Atwell for a 38-yard score to pull within four points.
Goff and the Lions had one last chance to answer before halftime. They drove quickly into Rams territory before stalling and facing a 4th and 4 from the 41-yard line. Rams linebacker Ernest Jones IV jumped offsides, but the officials called a false start penalty on Taylor Decker.
So instead of a first down, the Lions faced a 4th and 9. They punted and settled for a 21-17 lead going into the break.
Defense steps up after halftime
The Lions finally got a stop on the opening drive of the second half, thanks to an incomplete pass on 3rd and 11. The key play was made by Aidan Hutchinson, who dropped Stafford for a 1-yard loss.
But the offense couldn’t quite put the Rams away. Michael Badgley kicked a 54-yard field goal to increase the lead to seven, but the Rams answered with a field goal of their own to make it 24-20.
Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for 10 yard on the first play of the next drive, but then a pair of 2-yard runs from Gibbs and a sack forced the Lions to punt the ball back to Stafford.
The Lions had a chance to get off the field defensively on an early 3rd and 8, but a screen pass to Nacua went for nine yards and extended the drive. The Rams drove 79 yards on 13 plays and kicked a field goal to pull within one point.
On perhaps their most important drive of the game, the Lions offense laid another egg, going three-and-out thanks to a pair of incomplete passes.
But the Lions wouldn’t be denied. Jack Fox punted the ball down to the 8-yard line, and the defense forced one last punt to put the game in the hands of the offense.
Two first downs later, the Lions went into victory formation and clinched their first playoff victory since Jan. 5, 1992.
