Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Rams: DETROIT WINS!

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The last time the Detroit Lions hosted a home playoff game, a lot of things were different. Cell phones were still phones, the internet was in its infancy, and the Detroit Lions didn't play in Detroit. That ends now.

On Sunday, January 14, the Detroit Lions host the Los Angeles Rams in the first playoff game in Ford Field's 20-year history. Beyond that storyline, there's also the Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford storyline as both former number 1 overall picks face off against each other.

The winner – Goff – is taking his team one step closer to a Super Bowl. The loser – Stafford – has to go home and build for the fall.

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The biggest game of the year started with an opening monologue by Eminem. With a packed Ford Field waiting for nearly an hour before the game started, the Rams won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, giving the Lions the ball to start.

Lions vs. Rams - first-quarter updates

On the opening drive, Jared Goff was crisp – a perfect 5-5 for 51 yards – and the 5:30 drive ended in a David Montgomery 1-yard touchdown run – which was met by a thunderous ovation by the Detroit fans.

When Stafford took the field, the Detroit faithful greeted him exactly as one would expect – to a chorus of boos. But if the veteran was affected by the reception, he didn't show it. He promptly led the Rams down the field to the Lions' red zone. However, the defense stood strong at the 6-yard line, forcing the Rams to take 3 points. 

With Goff and company back on the field, he picked up right where he left off, going 4-4 including a long pass to another former Ram, Josh Reynolds, the second of which was a 33-yard catch-and-run to get Detroit down to the 10-yard-line. On the next play, rookie Jahymr Gibbs ran right up the gut, putting the Lions up 14-3. 

Ford Field was rocking – even more so when Stafford dropped back to pass on the next play and appeared to trip over his own feet. Second-year end Aidan Hutchinson was right there to get the sack. The Rams then handed it off to Kyren Williams for a couple of yards before picking up a 3rd-and-16 on a 19-yard catch by Demarcus Robinson to close out the first quarter. 

Stafford's right hand collided with a Lions' defender on that long pass, causing a cut on his right hand between his first two fingers.

Lions vs. Rams second quarter updates

But that cut didn't stop Stafford. 

Four plays later, Stafford found rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua wide open down the sideline for a 50-yard touchdown to bring the Rams within 4, at 14-10.

On the Lions' next drive, Goff had his first incompletion at the 11:38 mark in the second quarter. But that one incomplete pass didn't slow down the electric offense. The Lions' offense was on fire at this point, with the Rams' defense missing a lot of tackles on consecutive plays to get the Lions down to the 10-yard line again.

An Aaron Donald offsides and suddenly the Lions are 15 feet away from a touchdown but still could get a first down. Facing a fourth-and-inches, head coach Dan Campbell sent out Dan Skipper to report as an eligible player – but he wasn't the target.

Rookie tight end Sam LaPorta was open in the back of the end zone and Goff didn't miss, putting the Lions up 21-10. 

On the Lions' first three drives, all of which started at the 25-yard line, the Lions marched their way down the field. 

The Rams medical staff worked with Stafford and the cut – but he came out firing on the Rams' next drive, connecting with Nakua again for 21 yards. The next two plays, the Lions defense showed up, forcing the Rams into a 3rd-and-five at the Lions' 45-yard-line and Stafford couldn't connect with Robinson in man-to-man coverage against rookie Brian Branch. But the Rams converted their first fourth down, a 6-yard pass to Cooper Kupp. 

And on the very next play, Stafford threw a dart to Tutu Atwell for a 38-yard touchdown pass to bring the Rams to within four once again.

The Lions offense got back on the field but a terrible decision by Goff while under pressure by two Rams, as he awkwardly fumbled the ball backwards towards LaPorta. The rookie tight end alertly jumped on the ball and was touched down. But the potent Lions offense was looking at a 2nd-and-25. 

Offensive Coordinator Ben Johnson dialed up a screen to Gibbs, who picked up 10 yards to get the Lions to a 3rd-and-15 going into the 2-minute warning. The Lions converted thanks to a 23-yard pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown to keep the drive alive – only to be stymied by the Rams defense. The Lions lined up for a 4th-down but a Tayler Decker false start – a call that fans the broadcast booth disagreed with – cost the Lions five yards and the first punt of the game was seen. 

The Rams were called for a blind-side block, which gave L.A. the ball at their own 5-yard-line with less than a minute to go in the half – but both the Rams and Lions took their timeouts into the locker room, ending the first half at 21-17.

Lions vs Rams first-half stats

The first half of the Wild Card game was electric on offense for both Detroit and Los Angeles.

Goff totaled 194 yards on 16 of 18 passing. His counterpart, Stafford, threw for 196 yards on 12 of 16 passing.

The Lions are winning the running game, totaling 69 yards between Montgomery (43 yards) and Gibbs (26).

Lions vs Rams third-quarter updates

If the first half was an offensive onslaught, Campbell got a message across to his defense: stop the Rams. 

Whatever was said, probably a bit more than ‘stop the Rams’, it worked. A Hutchinson sack and outstanding secondary play forced the Rams into their first punt of the game.

The Lions offense wasn't slowing down. On their first drive of the half, Goff and company picked up where they left off as Goff connected on 3rd and 6 with St. Brown for 30 yards to get inside Rams territory again. But the Rams' second sack of the game pushed the Lions out of field goal range – until Goff hit LaPorta for 5-yards to set up a 54-yard field goal, which Michael Badgley drilled dead center to give the Lions a 7-point lead at 24-17.

But the Rams were ready to answer – driving to the Lions side of the field on just 3 plays thanks to a screen pass to running back Ronnie Rivers and missed tackles by the Lions' defense. A 22-yard pass to Davis Allen and the Rams were sitting at 1st-and-ten at the Lions' 11 yard-line. But, similar to the only other time the Rams were in the red zone, the Lions' defense held and forced another Rams field goal. 

Notable on this drive, Stafford took a massive hit on the final play from Hutchinson and Alim McNeil. Stafford hobbled off the field and went into the medical tent as the Rams kicked a field goal to bring the score to 24-20. 

TV replays showed Stafford staring up into the ceiling of Ford Field and appearing to be dazed before he was taken into the medical tent for evaluation.

Lions vs Rams fourth-quarter updates

The Rams forced the Lions into a quick three-and-out and the Lions opened the quarter with a punt, pinning the Rams at their own ten-yard-line. The Rams put together a methodical drive, highlighted by chunk plays by Williams, Robinson, and Nacua to get down to Detroit's 13-yard-line.

But the Rams offense was stymied by the Lions again, the third such red zone stand of the game. A Rams field goal made it a one-point game, 24-23 with 8:10 left in the game.

The Lions couldn't capitalize on the defensive stop – going three-and-out before Jack Fox punted it back to the Rams, forcing their drive to start at their own 10-yard-line.

But the Stafford to Nacua connection continued with Nacua picking up 36 yards on a crossing route. A 15-yard pass to Rivers and they were on the Lions side of the 50 with five minutes left in the game. But a massive stop on 3rd-and-14 forced a punt by the Rams, which gave the Lions the ball at their own 17-yard-line.

The Rams had only one timeout, meaning all Detroit needed to do was take care of the football – which they did. A short pass to Montgomery resulted in a quick first down to get the ball out to the 30. Another run and the Lions took the game to the 2-minute warning.

On the next play, Goff hit St. Brown for a 12-yard gain and Ford Field exploded as the Lions and fans knew they were close. There was still 1:54 left. But it was just a matter of time. The Rams had one timeout – and used it. 

But Goff took three kneel-downs to end the game – with the Lions winning 24-23.

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