Jared Goff gets revenge, barely, as Lions eliminate Rams with one-point victory
Lions quarterback Jared Goff passes during a 24-23 victory over the Rams in the NFC wild-card playoffs Sunday at Ford Field.
Rapper Eminem, a Detroit native, said last week that Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford owed him a favor for performing in the Super Bowl LVI halftime show at SoFi Stadium, where Stafford starred in the Rams’ victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I rapped for you Stafford,” Eminem said in a video clip the NFL released on social media. “Bro, I rapped for you! Can you just let us have this one? Just this one?”
On Sunday night at frenzied Ford Field, Stafford lost himself in the moment. He dropped bombs — a 50-yard touchdown pass to Puka Nacua and a 38-yard scoring pass to Tutu Atwell.
However, it was not enough to overcome Jared Goff, who earned revenge against the team that three years ago jettisoned him to Detroit in a trade for Stafford.
Goff played error free and ended the Rams’ season by leading the Lions to a 24-23 victory in an NFC wild-card game in front of 66,637 fans starved for a postseason victory.
It ended the way it was scripted, with one of this city’s favored sons leading his team to a historic victory.
Unfortunately for the Rams, it was Goff, not Stafford.
The loss abruptly ended the run of a Rams team that rebounded from last season’s historically bad Super Bowl hangover and exceeded expectations by making a run to the playoffs for the fifth time in coach Sean McVay’s seven seasons.
“The finale of it is, it still doesn’t totally resonate,” McVay said, “But man, did I learn a lot and really appreciate this group. They helped me find my way again and how much I love this.”
McVay did not enjoy seeing his team fail to score touchdowns in three trips inside the 20-yard line. He was not thrilled by a first-half defensive effort that enabled the Lions to convert all three of their red-zone opportunities.
And, despite his compliments toward Goff, it had to sting losing to a player who has been reborn as a prince of the Motor City.
Goff, the top pick by the Rams in the 2016 NFL draft, had said this week that he and McVay were “good” despite McVay’s clumsy handling of the trade.
Goff had to relish winning the Lions’ first home playoff game in 30 years with a victory over the team that cast him aside — but would not say so publicly.
“It was not about them,” said Goff, who completed 22 of 27 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown. “It was not about me, it was not about my history there, it wasn’t about anyone on their team or any coaches, it was about us.”
McVay said Goff was efficient and showed great command.
The Rams trailed 21-17 at halftime after Goff led three scoring drives, including one that he finished with a fourth-down touchdown pass to tight end Sam LaPorta.
The Lions extended the lead with a field goal, and the Rams answered with another to again pull to within four. The Rams’ drive proved costly, however, with Stafford going to the tent after he was hit by Aidan Hutchinson on a third-down pass.
Stafford returned and directed a drive that stalled at the Lions’ 11-yard line, again bringing on Brett Maher for a field goal that trimmed the lead to 24-23 with just more than 8 minutes left.
The Rams forced the Lions to go three and out, giving Stafford the ball at the Rams’ nine-yard line with 7:18 remaining. They were forced to punt, however, with just more than 4 minutes left.
Goff did not let the Rams get the ball back.
“I thought we were going to win the game — there was no doubt in my mind,” Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald said. “From the start to the end, I thought we were going to find a way to win it.
“But we didn’t.”
Stafford said he planned to return for his 16th NFL season.
What will he remember most about his Detroit homecoming?
“Honestly, probably opportunity missed,” he said. “That’s kind of the way it goes when you don’t get the result that you want. …
“Nobody gave us a chance to even be sniffing where we are right now, and gave a really good football team a run for their money. … It was a fun year, a hell of a year and something to be proud of.”