Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff took a moment to bask in the home crowd after his team advanced to the NFC Championship game for just the second time in franchise history.
Speaking after reporters after Detroit’s 31-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 21, Goff gave credit to the fans who stayed loud throughout the game.
“They’re the best. Look around right now. They’re not going to leave here for quite some time,” Goff said, via The Associated Press. “And this is our last one in front of them and they were special tonight as they were last week. But they deserve it. They deserve this. They deserve to enjoy this and hope to give them a lot more moving forward.”
The win was the second straight at home for the Lions, who before this postseason had not hosted a playoff game in Detroit in 30 years. The win sent them on to the NFC Championship game and a matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
Goff wasn’t the only player thanking the fans after the game. Second-year edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who had one sack and three quarterback hits in Sunday’s win, also gave a nod to the long-suffering fans.
“It’s amazing and this city deserves it,” Hutchinson said in an NBC postgame interview, via The Athletic. “We’re gonna keep plugging away. It’s win or go home at this point, and we’re all very excited to go to San Fran.”
Lions Win Behind Balanced Attack
After a slow start to the first half, Goff led the Lions to long touchdown drives on three straight possessions in the second half to take the lead and close out the game. The veteran quarterback ended up completing 30 of 43 passes for 287 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The Lions got strong contributions from a number of players on offense. Wide receiver Josh Reynolds scored on a 9-yard touchdown to give the Lions a 10-3 lead, and third-string running back Craig Reynolds later scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Rookie Jahmyr Gibbs later added a 31-yard touchdown run in what turned out to be the game-deciding score.
Though the defense struggled at times to hold back Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, they came through late. Linebacker Derrick Barnes picked off Mayfield during the final drive of the fourth quarter to ice the game.
After the game, Goff gave credit to the defense for coming through when it mattered the most.
“Our defense stepped up there at the end. I thought our defense played a hell of a game all night and got the ball back there to finish it,” Goff said.
Lions Looking to the Future
While the Lions now have a chance to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history, the franchise is also planning for Goff’s long-term future in Detroit. The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the team is planning talks on a contract extension that will keep him with the Lions for the foreseeable future.
As CBS Sports noted, Goff is about to enter the final year of his contract which includes a base salary of $21.65 million for the coming season.
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