When Detroit Lions needed him most, Jared Goff came through for historic playoff win
Think back to when the Detroit Lions traded Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams.
Jared Goff was considered a toss in. Nothing but a bridge quarterback.
And he was, all right.
Goff was the bridge this team needed badly.
A bridge to the NFC North title — the first in organization history.
A bridge to this organizations’ first playoff win since 1992, a 24-23 victory over the Rams on Sunday night.
And a bridge to something truly magical — another home playoff game (thank you, Green Bay).
Detroit, it’s clear, loves him.
“Jared Goff!” the crowd in Ford Field chanted.
“JARED GOFF!”
The wild part?
It was during pregame warmups, more than 45 minutes before the Lions played their first playoff game in Detroit in a lifetime — at least for anyone under 30.
CARLOS MONARREZ: Matthew Stafford got what he deserved with every last boo in his return to Ford Field
Then, a moment later, when former Lions star Matthew Stafford came out to warm up for the Los Angeles Rams, the crowd went nuts, booing the long-time Lion loudly.
You gotta love Detroit, man. This town loves its own.
If Goff ever wondered how Detroit truly feels about him, it should be clear after this game.
Which had more storylines than a 10-part Netflix series:
It was Stafford’s return to Detroit versus Goff’s chance to shove it in the face of the team that traded him. If there was any pressure, Goff didn’t show it.
It was the Lions versus history of futility and frustration and all that frustration came out — at times, I thought the decibel meter was going to melt down and the roof was going to blow off Ford Field.
“Let’s go!” Eminem screamed from the stands.
Goff came out throwing darts, hitting his first nine passes on the first two drives, looking like a surgeon carving up the Rams' defense. He faced no pressure and had all kinds of time, and if he felt any pressure facing his old team, he was pure ice.
The running game certainly helped: The Lions came out dominating the line of scrimmage, averaging 5.7 yards per rush on those first two drives, and just imposing their will.
“Jared Goff!” the fans chanted, darn near every chance they got.
It’s not that Lions fans suddenly hate Stafford. He’s simply wearing the wrong color jersey now.
Besides, everything has changed since Stafford was here.
And that trade has played all kinds of dividends.
In the first quarter alone, several players the Lions got from the Stafford trade made critical impacts.
Jahmyr Gibbs had a 10-yard run, Sam LaPorta, playing on a gimpy knee, had a fine catch.
Ifeatu Melifonwu made a fine defensive play, negating a pass into the end zone.
Jameson Williams had a catch, Josh Paschal had a tackle.
And Goff?
Well, he was magnificent.
The action on the field was fascinating. But it was just as dramatic after every play.
In the biggest moment ever in Ford Field, the Lions showed no fear or intimidation. They were playing on emotion and adrenaline, darn near defiance. After every play, these Lions seemed to jump up and flex and scream: We are coming and we aren’t stopping.
They were robbers on horseback, chasing after the stagecoach.
They played hungry and aggressive. The Lions were breaking tackles and making history. And when the Lions had fourth-and-1 from the 2-yard line, there was no hesitation. Campbell kept his offense on the field and the crowd cheered.
This was complementary football all right. Offensive, defense and special teams. And the fans. All together as one.
This was an incredible homefield advantage.
“Jared Goff!”
Bam — Goff hit LaPorta for a touchdown. Seriously, Rams? You got a guy with No. 97 trying to guard LaPorta. Good luck with that.
This game had everything. The refs botching a call that hurt the Lions, as always — the Rams jumped offsides and the Lions were flagged for a false start.
That basically wiped away a tremendous scoring opportunity late in the second quarter, in a game where every possession mattered.
But every time it seemed as if the Lions were going to pull away, Stafford made a huge play, throwing a pair of TD bombs — a 50-yarder to Puka Nacua and a 38-yarder to Tutu Atwell.
Stafford is still a heck of a quarterback. That’s clear.
But in the third quarter, with the Lions holding a slim 24-20 lead, Stafford was hurt.
Actually, he looked like a piece of baloney in a Lions sandwich.
He was crushed by Aidan Hutchison on one side, Alim McNeill on the other and his helmet bounced hard off the turf.
He was helped into the blue tent.
Was anybody surprised when he came back out without missing a series? Of course not. His toughness has never been questioned.
Was anybody surprised when he threw a no-look pass for a first down? Of course not.
Was anybody surprised when he marched the Rams down field late in the fourth quarter, trying to mount a miracle, dramatic comeback? Of course not. Lions fans have seen him do plenty of late game heroics.
But this time, that defense held.
And Goff had a chance to mount a 4-minute offense, to eat up the clock and hold onto a 24-23 lead.
And he did it perfectly, throwing high-pressure first downs, first to David Montgomery and then to Amon-Ra St. Brown, keeping Stafford on the sideline, keeping this dream alive.
Goff’s a bridge all right.
A bridge to a magical place Detroit hasn’t seen in decades.
Another home playoff game.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.
To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: When Detroit Lions needed him most, Jared Goff came through for history
