Game Recap: Lions top Bucs in hard-fought battle at Ford Field

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The Lions beat the Buccaneers 31-23 Sunday in the NFC Divisional Round.

1st Quarter:

Detroit got on the board first with a field goal midway through the 1st quarter after intercepting Baker Mayfield on the Bucs' first drive.

He returned it to the 41-yard line, before te Lions drove to the red zone. It stalled out after an errant throw by Jared Goff almost ended in an interception in the end zone.

Tampa Bay responded on their next drive with a field goal. Brian Branch, the Lions' rookie standout safety, had a key sack.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 21: C.J. Gardner-Johnson #2 of the Detroit Lions returns an interception against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Ford Field on January 21, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan.

Expand

2nd Quarter

The Lions started the second quarter with an efficient drive from Goff, who threw the team's first touchdown to Josh Reynolds.

Goff went 9/10 on the drive, including three passes to Sam LaPorta.

Mayfield managed to respond with a successful drive, taking the offense down into Lions territory. But a field goal attempt by kicker Chase McLaughlin went off the upright. It was his first missed kick of the entire season that wasn't blocked.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds (8) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of the NFC Divisional Round Playoffs between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Sunday, January 21, 2024

Expand

But before halftime, Mayfield managed to drive the entire length of the field to push the Bucs into the end zone with four passes in a row, including a key catch from Mike Evans.

3rd Quarter

The Bucs started the quarter with several positive plays before an Aidan Hutchinson sack pushed Mayfield out of field goal range, a potentially 3-point play leading to a punt.

Both teams followed with two three-and-outs.

Defenses for both teams are finding success disrupting each quarterback. The Lions' Branch earned a tackle-for-loss that contributed to a third-and-long and another punt.

The Lions topped a 10-play, 64-yard drive with a 4th-down run by Craig Reynolds for the team's second touchdown of the day.

With 10 seconds left in the 3rd quarter, Baker Mayfield dumped a short pass to running back Rachaad White for a touchdown, tying it at 17 a piece.

4th Quarter

The Lions didn't wait long to start scoring in the 4th quarter, with Gibbs doing most of the work on their ensuing drive.

He scored on his longest run of the game, adding to an impressive total on the season of 12 touchdowns, including his second of the playoffs.

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 21: Josh Reynolds #8 of the Detroit Lions celebrates a touchdown by Craig Reynolds #13 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the third quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Ford Field on January 21, 2024 in Detro

Expand

The Lions followed up their successful drive with another 5:50-minute-long drive that went almost the entire length of the field.

Thanks to contributions from Gibbs, LaPorta, Jameson Williams, and Amon-Ra St. Brown, Goff was perfectly positioned to put the Lions up by two touchdowns.

Another quick throw to Brown earned them their third touchdown of the second half.

But the Bucs managed to respond with several big-time throws, including a touchdown toss to Evans. In a risky decision, the Bucs tried going for two, but failed.

The Lions managed to seal up the game with a key interception from Derrick Barnes.

The Match-up

The home game at Ford Field, Detroit's second this postseason, features two NFC teams hitting their stride at just the right time.

While Jared Goff has been efficient through the air while limiting mistakes, Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield has found his rhythm to end the regular season. He helped the Buccaneers to the NFC South divisional championship before eliminating the Philadelphia Eagles in their wildcard game.

But Detroit's two running backs could add a dimension to the team's offense that wasn't there the last time the Lions played the Buccaneers.

David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have taken to their roles well this season and, after each overcoming some mid-season injuries, have added some much-needed balance to Detroit's game plan.

What's at stake

Besides more Lions football to watch, the winner of today's divisional round will face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

The 49ers beat the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night to secure the first spot in the game - and thanks to their No. 1 overall seed, it'll be a home game for them as well.