The Buc stops in Detroit as an unlikely hero helps Lions advance to first NFC Championship in 32 years

DETROIT – The Buc stops in Detroit as an unlikely hero helped the Lions advance to their first NFC Championship game in 32 years.

After the Detroit Lions offense stalled while trying to put the game away in the fourth quarter, it was up to the defense to save the day with under two minutes to play on Sunday, Jan. 21 (My mother’s birthday).

With the Lions up 31-23 with 1:59 remaining, quarterback Baker Mayfield and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers got the ball inside their 10-yard line, and they had ill intentions on their minds.

Mayfield hit wide receiver Mike Evans, who finished the day with eight catches for 147 yards and one touchdown, with a pass for five yards on the opening play of the possession.

With the clock running on second and five, Mayfield, who finished the day completing 26 of 41 passes for 349 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, snapped the ball but rushed his throw as rookie defensive back Brian Branch came on a slot blitz from the left side, forcing the fifth year quarterback to throw errantly to tight end Cade Otton, but was picked off again, this time by linebacker Derrick Barnes to seal the victory.

Barnes has been with the Lions for three years after spending four years in college at Purdue University. Throughout his tenure with the Lions, Sunday’s monumental interception was the first of his career, and it came at the right time.

Barnes, who finished the matchup as the teams’ player of the game with four total tackles, one pass deflection, and the crucial interception, spoke to the fans postgame to give insight about the moment that inspired the team after a 10-10 game while coming out of halftime.

“We got to start fast, man,” said Barnes. “We prepared well this week by coming out and just trying to get the intensity going into the second half and start making plays like that (Interception) and be able to give the offense the ball back.”

Barnes said coaches emphasized players playing in their seams all week, and from the looks of the final play, whatever they saw on film came to fruition during the gutwrenching moment.

“Coach has been emphasizing all week about just playing in our seams,” Barnes said. “I seen the tight end in the seam, and I seen Baker Mayfield’s eyes, and I just tried to produce. God is good.”

Barnes continued:

“I appreciate this team, these fans and our coaches and shoutout to my son Derrick Danta Barnes III, I know you’re in the house, this ones for you. I love you, man.”

Barnes also spoke glowingly about the fans who have supported the organization throughout his tenure with the team.

“I love you guys, man, this is crazy,” Barnes said. “I’ve been here for three years, and I appreciate you guys a lot. This means a lot to me, my teammates, and our coaches. This is crazy, man. Let’s keep this train going all the way to San Fran.”

Lions head coach Dan Campbell spoke about the colossal play and his pride in Barnes, calling him one of his guys.

“I’m proud of Derrick,” said Campbell. “You know, he’s one of our guys. We drafted him during our first year here, and he was a late bloomer. It took him a little bit, and he really came on this season, and he’s playing at a high level.”

Campbell continued:

“Just to see him growing; you know, one of the biggest areas I’ve seen him grow at was his level of play on defense, but his psyche, like if something bad happens or something doesn’t quite go the way you want it to, man he’s able to bounce back in a big way, and he doesn’t get affected negatively. He keeps going, and that’s where I feel the most growth, and that’s why he’s playing at a high level. What a huge play.”

The defense played outstanding throughout the game. As Barnes said, they got the ball back in the offense’s hand, which was why quarterback Jared Goff heaped praise on them and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

“I thought our defense played a heck of a game all night and got us the ball back to finish it, but I want to give all of the credit to Aaron Glenn tonight,” said Goff. “Our defense played their tails off, and he deserves a ton of credit during these last handful of weeks.”

Jared Goff

Goff had the offense moving at times against a very stout Buccaneers defense, but he made timely plays to help his team advance to the next round.

Goff completed 30-43 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns, with his first passing score coming in the second quarter to wide receiver Josh Reynolds for nine yards.

Goff hit his favorite target in receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who led the team in receiving yards by catching eight for 77 and scoring a nine-yard touchdown to almost put the game away in the fourth quarter.

Go praised his teammates and described how they played together, including guys who fought through injuries just to have a chance to advance to the next round.

“We played together, and we played hard all night,” Goff said. “We had guys fighting through stuff all night like he was (Frank Ragnow), but we played complementary football, and we were able to finish drives there at the end, and again, I thought our defense played great.”

The Lions will travel to Levi Stadium, where they will take on the San Francisco 49ers for a chance to capture the NFC Championship trophy and have a shot at playing in Super Bowl LVIII.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Sunday (Jan. 28). With that being said, how do you think the Lions will fare against the 49ers? Will their Cinderella story continue into Las Vegas?