Sunday night was the biggest night for the Lions in many years and they made it happen. Goff had a great first half and completed several key plays in the final minutes, the defense came up big in the second half and Detroit won its first playoff game since Barry Sanders played for the team 32 seasons ago. Detroit had a thrilling 24-23 win over the Rams and Stafford.
Detroit's long-awaited return to glory was the biggest story of Sunday night's game. The Lions' last playoff win was in January 1992. The last playoff win before that was in 1957. Lions fans had not seen a home playoff game since the 1993 season. Rap superstar and Lions fan Eminem filmed a pregame segment for NBC to explain what the game and the season meant. Lions legends like Calvin Johnson and Sanders were on the sidelines, partially retired due to the Lions' constant losing.
Had the Lions gone out with a playoff loss at home, the season might have looked empty. But with the victory, the Lions are not moving on; they have a chance to make a deep run. Sunday's early loss to the Dallas Cowboys means that with the win, the Lions will host another game next week in the group round against either the Philadelphia Eagles or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions have a chance to go from two playoff wins in 66 years to two in seven or eight days.
Both offenses make big plays
The Lions' first home playoff game in 30 years started with a lot of big plays. Detroit started with a 75-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. The Lions led 14-3 when Stafford hit Puka Nacua for a 50-yard touchdown on third-and-1. Nacua set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in a playoff game with 181.
Stafford threw another long 38-yard touchdown pass to Tutu Atwell late in the second quarter. The Lions led 21-17 after a highly entertaining first half.
