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Jared Goff Guides Lions Closer to Improbable Playoff Berth

Former Cal star throws the game-winning touchdown pass against the Jets
Jake Curtis|
Jared Goff Guides Lions Closer to Improbable Playoff Berth
Jared Goff Guides Lions Closer to Improbable Playoff Berth

Former Cal star Jared Goff is leading the Detroit Lions' express train that continued its unlikely bid for a playoff berth on Sunday.

Goff threw the game-winning touchdown pass on fourth down with just under two minutes remaining, helping the Lions beat the New York Jets 20-17 on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.

Detroit (7-7) is back to .500 with its sixth win in its last seven games, the only loss in that stretch being a three-point defeat against the Bills, who kicked the game-winning field goal on the final play.

And now the Lions are very much in playoff contention despite starting the season 1-6 and being dismissed from postseason conversations.

They are just a half-game out of the seventh and final playoff spot in the NFC.  The Washington Commanders are 7-6-1 and hold the final NFC playoff spot, with the Lions and Seahawks right behind at 7-7.

Detroit finishes the season with games against the Panthers, Bears and Packers, all of whom have losing records. But only the game against the Bears is a home game for Detroit.

The Commanders' remaining schedule is more difficult, with games against the 49ers (10-4), Browns (6-8) and Cowboys (10-4), but only the 49ers game is on the road.

Seattle finishes with games against the Chiefs (11-3), Jets (7-7) and Rams (4-9), with the games against the Jets and Rams being home games for the Seahawks..

The schedules seem to favor the Lions.

Goff has been playing outstanding football during the Lions' surge, and although he was not quite as sharp on Sunday as he has been in recent weeks, it was good enough, especially in the clutch. It's why we have touted Goff for Comeback Player of the Year.

Goff went went 23-of-38 passing for 252 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions against the Jets, and over his last six games, he has thrown nine touchdown passes with no interceptions.

And his touchdown pass Sunday was the game-winner.

The Jets (7-7) had just scored a touchdown to take a 17-13 lead when the Lions and Goff took over at their own 22-yard line with 4:27 remaining. 

The Lions drove to their 49-yard line where they faced a fourth-and-1 with 1:47 left. That's when Goff threw a short completion to a wide-open Brock Wright, who took it 51 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

The Lions finally clinched the win when the Jets' Greg Zuerlein missed a 58-yard field goal attempt on the final play.

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Cover photo of Jared Goff and Brock Wright is by Ed Mulholland, USA TODAY Sports

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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