Lions Hold On vs. Buccaneers, Head to NFC Championship Game

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DETROIT -- The Detroit Lions kept their storybook season going and advanced to their first NFC Championship Game since 1991 with a 31-23 divisional-round victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Quarterback Jared Goff went 30-for-43 for 287 yards, and he threw two touchdowns in a playoff game for the first time in his career. The Lions ended with 391 yards of total offense against Tampa Bay after posting 334 total net yards in their wild-card game against the Los Angeles Rams. Goff went 11-for-12 for 131 yards and a TD in the fourth quarter.

Goff said the Lions are "not here by accident," with the coaching staff and front office in place -- a group that includes general manager Brad Holmes -- helping shape the roster.

"I don't want to say this arrogantly, but we expected to win the first game (in the wild-card round against the Los Angeles Rams), we expected to win this game and now we get to go to a game we expected to be in against a really good team at their place -- and we're going to come into it expecting to win," Goff said. "It'll be a tough game, but it'll be fun."

In the fourth quarter alone versus Tampa Bay, Goff completed 11 of 12 attempts for 131 yards with a scoring strike.

Baker Mayfield completed 26 of 41 passes for 349 yards with three TDs and two interceptions. On fourth-and-14, trailing 31-17 in the fourth quarter, Mayfield found Evans for a 16-yard touchdown to make it 31-23 (after a failed 2-point conversion attempt).

Mayfield's first pick came during the Bucs' opening drive on a tipped pass intended for Evans that was intercepted by safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, setting up a 23-yard field goal for the Lions. His second pick -- and the game-ender -- came with 1:35 remaining and the Bucs trailing by eight.

Detroit will travel to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday with a Super Bowl bid on the line.