NFL Divisional Round Game Recap: Detroit Lions 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23

The Detroit Lions have advanced to the NFC championship game after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 on Sunday afternoon.

The Lions opened the scoring on a 23-yard field goal from Michael Badgley after a promising drive stalled inside the Buccaneers' 5-yard line. The Buccaneers then matched it on the very next drive, with Chase McLaughlin’s 43-yard field goal tying the game up.

It was Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds who found the end zone first in the game, getting open for a 9-yard touchdown, but an impressive two-minute drive by the Buccaneers at the end of the first half ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield to tight end Cade Otton tie it up 10-10 at halftime.

The Lions struck first in the second half, with Craig Reynolds a rushing touchdown on fourth-and-1 near the end of the third quarter, but the Buccaneers bounced right back again, with Mayfield finding Rachaad White for a 12-yard touchdown pass.

With the second half brought to life, rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs kept the scoring going with a 31-yard touchdown scamper before the Lions built a two-score lead when Jared Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 9-yard touchdown pass.

The Buccaneers wouldn’t go quietly, though, bringing it back within 8 points when Mayfield found Mike Evans for a 16-yard touchdown, but that was as close as they would get.

Offensive spotlight: Both quarterbacks had a lot of success in the game. Buccaneers signal-caller Baker Mayfield finished 26-for-41 for 349 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, with Mike Evans his primary target. The veteran pass-catcher turned 11 targets into seven receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown.

Jared Goff made play after play for the Lions, and he didn’t make many mistakes either. He finished the game 30-for-43 for 287 yards and two touchdowns.

The unsung hero for the Lions was center Frank Ragnow, though. Battling through an in-game injury, he held his own against Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea on the fourth-and-goal touchdown run by Reynolds.

Defensive spotlight: Aidan Hutchinson coming away with a sack should come as no surprise, but what was even more impressive was how the Lions were able to get pressure with their defensive backs, too. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu tallied 1.5 sacks, while rookie Brian Branch had one, and the Lions were able to force Mayfield into mistakes with pressure throughout the game.

Rookie spotlight: The Lions took a lot of heat for spending the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on a running back, but Jahmyr Gibbs gave them exactly what they were hoping for when they drafted him in this game. His 31-yard touchdown run blew the game open for the Lions, with the former Alabama standout finishing the game with 74 rushing yards on nine carries and another 40 yards on four receptions.

Box Score

Passing

Rushing

Receiving