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How
Sweet It
Is:
Lions
snap
32-year
playoff
win
drought
the over
Rams
By
Justin
Tyme
tellusdetroit.com
DETROIT
– The
wildcard
game
lived up
to the
hype,
and it
became
apparent
that the
team
that
possessed
the ball
last
would be
the
winner
away.
It was
an
exciting
game
with
some
great
plays
from
both
teams,
but in
the end,
the
Lions
came out
on top
with a
final
score of
24-23.
The
Lions
set the
tone
early,
embarking
on a
10-play,
75-yard
scoring
drive
that
culminated
in a
1-yard
touchdown
run by
David
Montgomery.
This
series
effectively
shaved
five and
a half
minutes
off the
clock,
setting
the pace
for the
rest of
the
game.
Quarterback
Jared
Goff had
a solid
performance
against
his
former
team,
completing
22 of 27
passes
for 277
yards
and one
touchdown.
The
Lion's
defense
also
stepped
up,
sacking
Rams QB
Matthew
Stafford
three
times
and
forcing
two
turnovers.
Overall,
it was a
great
win for
the
Lions
and
their
fans.
Stafford
authored
an
impressive
performance
in the
loss,
completing
25 of 36
pass
attempts
for 367
yards
and two
touchdowns;
Stafford
lost
himself
in the
moment.
He
dropped
bombs —
a
50-yard
touchdown
pass to
Puka
Nacua
and a
38-yard
scoring
pass to
Tutu
Atwell.
However,
it was
not
enough
to
overcome
Jared
Goff,
who
earned
revenge
against
the team
that
jettisoned
him to
Detroit
three
years
ago in a
trade
for
Stafford.
Every
time the
Lions
looked
ready to
pull
away,
the Rams
answered.
It's
hard to
put
Stafford
away.
Lions
fans
know
that
well. A
field
goal cut
Detroit's
lead
down to
24-23
with a
little
over
eight
minutes
to go.
History
or
misery.
Take
your
pick.
With the
ball in
their
hands
and just
under
two
minutes
left in
a
one-point
game,
the
Lions'
offense
took the
field,
looking
to end
it. The
Rams had
used
their
final
timeout,
burning
two
early on
thanks
to a
rabid
home
crowd
that
made it
difficult
for
L.A.'s
offense
to hear.
A single
first
down
would
win the
game and
a
playoff
game for
the city
of
Detroit.
After a
high-octane
first
half,
the
Lions
demonstrated
their
resilience
and
determination
in the
second
half.
They
successfully
held off
the
Rams,
securing
their
advancement
to the
Divisional
Round.
In the
end,
Goff —
not
Stafford
—
delivered
the
knockout
punch.
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