Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell addresses the media after an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
The Detroit Lions and their fans waited a long time to celebrate as they did last week after beating the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.
Conversely, Tampa Bay is accustomed to joining in on the festivities during this season.
Taking advantage of hosting a postseason game for the first time in thirty years, the Lions won their first playoff game in thirty-two years.
For the first time in franchise history, Detroit is playing two home games in the same round of the playoffs, which increases the team’s odds of winning two postseason games in a season for the first time since capturing the 1957 NFL championship.
With their victory over Philadelphia, the Bucs became the first NFC team to make it to the postseason for four straight years. Since 2020, only the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champion, have won as many postseason games as the Bucs.
With a victory on Sunday against NFC South champion Tampa Bay, which captured the championship for the second time in Super Bowl 55 with quarterback Tom Brady, NFC North champion Detroit can advance further towards perhaps making their first Super Bowl appearance.
In his ninth season with the long-suffering Lions, offensive tackle Taylor Decker said he is just grateful he stayed around long enough to feel the excitement of the thrilling 24-23 victory over the Rams.
“That’s one of the beautiful things about sports, is to be able to see things through,” Decker stated. “I’m just proud that I got to be a part of something special.”
Both Baker Mayfield of Tampa Bay and Jared Goff of Detroit were selected first overall two years apart, but they were selected by different clubs, and both have experienced some postseason success.
In last week’s victory over the Rams and former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, Ford Field supporters were yelling, “Jar-ed Goff! Jar-ed Goff!” early and often. The eighth-year player was productive and successful.
Goff finished 22 of 27 throws for 277 yards and a touchdown, having completed his first ten passes.
Zyon McCollum of Tampa Bay remarked, “He’s a really good quarterback — one of the best I’ve seen on film.”
Mayfield, who Cleveland selected in the 2018 draft, may have enjoyed his greatest season as a member of his fourth team in three years. He became the first quarterback in Buccaneers history to throw for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in a postseason game. He set career highs with 4,044 yards passing and 28 touchdown passes during the regular season.
Todd Bowles, the coach of Tampa Bay, remarked, “He looks like he’s having fun like he was in college.” “He’s going to the field, acting carefree and liberated. It’s incredibly beneficial to both of us and to him.”
Last week, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, a defensive back for the Lions, verbally attacked Mayfield by complimenting Tampa Bay’s receivers and stating that they would be an excellent team if they had a quality quarterback.
Mayfield added a shot and reciprocated some nice remarks.
He’s a talented player, Mayfield remarked. “But yeah, he’s just got to do a little more film study.
