Lions tame Bucs, reach first NFC title game in 32 years

JARED GOFF passed for 287 yards and two touchdowns and the Detroit Lions advanced to the National Football Conference (NFC) Championship Game with a 31-23 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon.

Seeking their first Super Bowl berth, the Lions will travel to California to face the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday. Detroit will be playing in the conference title game for the first time since the 1991 season.

Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 74 yards, including the go-ahead 31yard score in the fourth quarter. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught eight passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, while Sam LaPorta had nine receptions for 65 yards for Detroit.

The Lions’ second playoff win in as many weeks came three years to the day after Dan Campbell was introduced as the downtrodden franchise’s new head coach.

For the second week running, Lions fans chanted Goff ’s name.

Baker Mayfield passed for 349 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions for the Bucs. Mike Evans caught eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown.

Derrick Barnes’ interception of Mayfield with 1:33 remaining clinched Detroit’s victory.

The Buccaneers exceeded expectations in 2023 by winning the NFC South and a wild-card game, but now they head into the offseason with pending free-agent decisions to make about Mayfield and Evans.

The game was tied at 10 at halftime.

Detroit struck first on Michael Badgley’s 23-yard field goal. Tampa Bay answered with Chase McLaughlin’s 43-yard field goal.

The Lions regained the lead early in the second quarter on Goff’s 9-yard scoring pass to Josh Reynolds. Mr. McLaughlin banged a 50-yard field-goal attempt off the left upright with 2:24 remaining in the first half.

The Bucs tied it with 15 seconds left on a 92-yard drive that took just 1:13. Evans’ diving 29-yard reception set up Mayfield’s 2-yard scoring pass to Cade Otton.

Detroit regained the lead with 3:48 left in the third quarter. Craig Reynolds scored on a 1-yard plunge on fourth-and-goal.

Tampa Bay answered again, as Rachaad White scored on a 12yard screen pass from Mayfield with 10 seconds left in the third.

The Lions struck back quickly, as Mr. Gibbs burst through a hole and scored from 31 yards out with 13:13 left in the game to make it 24-17.

After Detroit forced a punt, its offense drove 89 yards to increase the lead. Mr. Goff hooked up with St. Brown on a 9-yard passing play to make it 31-17. Mr. Mayfield completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Evans with 4:37 left. Evans had a 24yard reception on fourth-and-14 earlier in the drive. The Bucs attempted a two-point conversion, but the pass was broken up.

CHIEFS FEND OFF BILLS PATRICK Mahomes threw two touchdown passes to Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs advanced to the AFC Championship Game for the sixth consecutive season with a 27-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night at Orchard Park, N.Y.

Isiah Pacheco rushed for 97 yards and the go-ahead touchdown on 15 carries for third-seeded Kansas City. Mr. Mahomes completed 17 of 23 passes for 215 yards in his first career road postseason game and Mr. Kelce had five receptions for 75 yards for the Chiefs.

Kansas City will visit the topseeded Baltimore Ravens next Sunday for a Super Bowl berth.

Buffalo had a chance to tie the score but Tyler Bass was way wide right on a 44-yard field-goal attempt with 1:43 remaining. Pacheco then rushed for a first down on Kansas City’s second play as the Chiefs ran out the clock.

Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns and passed for one for Buffalo. Mr. Allen completed 26 of 39 passes for 186 yards and rushed for 72 yards on 12 carries and Khalil Shakir caught a touchdown pass for the second-seeded Bills.

Buffalo had a 16-play, 54yard drive stall at the Kansas City 26-yard line before Bass’ wide-right boot brought back memories of Scott Norwood’s 47-yard miss in the loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV nearly 33 years ago.

Mr. Mahomes and Mr. Kelce set a record for combining on 16 postseason touchdown passes. The former New England Patriots duo of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski held the old mark of 15. Buffalo possessed the ball for 37:03 and ran 78 plays to Kansas City’s 47.

The three touchdown drives of the second half were all 75 yards long.

Kansas City took a 20-17 lead on Mr. Mahomes’ three-yard scoring pass to Mr. Kelce with 11:48 left in the third. —