In January 1992, artists such as Roxette, Naughty by Nature and Color Me Badd were at the top of the charts. Mom, I missed the plane! became a cinema classic. And the Lions competed in the only conference final in their long history and finally returned to that good fortune.
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Fans in Detroit may have been sweating all their lives, but they saw decades of pain healed in a 31-23 win over the Buccaneers.
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Not only are the Lions in the National Conference Finals for the first time in 32 years, but they also won two playoff games for the first time since 1957.
Imagine: The 1957 season was their last NFL championship. It was a long time ago, a long, long time ago, in a bygone era when the Super Bowl didn't even exist.
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It's hard to believe the Lions won two playoff games in two weeks, especially knowing they won two between 1958 and 2022.
Here they are on a mission to beat the 49ers in San Francisco next Sunday night. It's a move they've never made since they've never been to the Super Bowl, but given the current magic, it's hard to hope.
Barely
While the stalemate remained at 10-10 at halftime, the Lions opened the game in the third and fourth quarters.
Back-to-back offensive drives of 64 yards, 75 yards and 89 yards allowed them to take the lead to 31-17 thanks to touchdowns from Craig Reynolds, Jahmyr Gibbs (with an outstanding 31-yard run) and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The Bucs didn't give up and responded with a touchdown from Mike Evans, who again excelled with eight receptions for 147 yards.
They even had the last chance to tie the score with 1:59 left in the game, but a pass from Baker Mayfield was intercepted by Derrick Barnes.
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This is the same Barnes who seemed to be on his way out last April when the Lions selected another linebacker, Jack Campbell, in the first round.
Barnes didn't give up, played a good season and made his big breakthrough at the right time. Inspiring!
The duel of the unloved
It should be noted that this was the twelfth playoff duel between two quarterbacks who were selected first in the draft. It was something of a comeuppance for Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield, who both put on a great show.
Mayfield was all but buried before this season. He fought hard to earn his spot as a starter in training camp, and his deadly interception at the very end of the fourth quarter shouldn't make us forget that he has exceeded all expectations this season.
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He still finished that meeting with 349 yards and three touchdown passes. The Browns didn't want him anymore. Neither did the Panthers. He first moved to the Rams to finally find his place in Tampa. It's hard to predict what the Bucs will look like in a few months since they have as many as 18 unrestricted free agents on their roster.
As for Goff, the Rams paid to part ways with a seemingly lavish contract a few years ago. It's hard not to be excited about a quarterback who seemed doomed to take the Lions to a level rarely reached.
Well done Dan Campbell!
Hats off to Lions head coach Dan Campbell too. It's hard to remember an employee who was so ridiculed for taking a stand. Let's just say that doubts weren't exactly erased after a 3-13-1 debut season in 2021.
True to form, he was aggressive again against the Buccaneers and won his bet when he went for a run on a fourth down and score in the third quarter.
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The touchdown set the Lions on an offensive path and the confidence shown by Campbell clearly had a galvanizing effect on the troops.
Campbell, who was the subject of ridicule three years ago, is now just the third head coach in the Lions' 94-year history to have at least two playoff victories.
Who laughs last, laughs best…
THE 3 STARS OF THE GAME
Jared Goff
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The Lions quarterback finished the game with 287 yards through the air and two touchdown passes, without a turnover at his expense. He hasn't committed an interception in his last three games.
Frank Ragnow
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The Lions' star guard deserves a lot of credit. He injured his leg during the play but stayed in the game and behind him, Craig Reynolds rushed for his critical ground touchdown on fourth down. A warrior who hadn't tried the series in five years.
Aidan Hutchinson
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The defense got another sack, his eighth in his last four games. He still broke through Baker Mayfield's protective shell frequently. What a moment for this Michigan native and fallen Lions fan in his youth!