Lions' Grades: Unsung Heroes, Stars Prove Valuable

Grading Lions' 31-23 win over Tampa Bay

The Detroit Lions are one win away from the Super Bowl. 

Led by a number of key contributors, the Lions dispatched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-23, to advance to the NFC Championship game for only the second time in team history. 

Jared Goff and company will meet the San Francisco 49ers at 6:30 p.m. Sunday for the right to represent the NFC on the biggest stage. 

Here are grades for each position group based on performance in Detroit's Divisional Round win. 

Quarterbacks: A

Goff and the offense started slowly, limping to just 10 first half points. In particular, he got a fortunate break when Jamal Dean dropped a sure interception in the end zone. That allowed the Lions to secure a field goal on their first trip in the red zone. 

He had a nice strike to Josh Reynolds for a touchdown in the second quarter, but took a sack on a third-and-1 on the team's final series of the half that prevented them from getting points. 

In the second half, his trademark precision was on full display. He again played clean football, driving the offense to three straight touchdowns. He had a perfectly placed fade route to St. Brown for a fourth quarter score. 

The veteran finished 30-for-43 for 287 yards and two scores. Now, Goff has the Lions within one win of their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. 

Running backs: B

Tampa Bay's physical defensive interior made life on the ground difficult for the Lions throughout the first half. David Montgomery had a quiet afternoon, gaining just 33 yards on 10 carries. 

After being used sparingly in the first half, Jahmyr Gibbs had an electric drive in the fourth quarter. He carried the ball four times on a five-play, 75-yard drive and provided the exclamation point with a burst of speed on a 31-yard scoring run. 

Gibbs finished with a game-high 74 rushing yards on nine carries and added 40 receiving yards on four catches. He also had an excellent blitz pickup on one third down conversion. 

The Lions also surprised many by calling on Craig Reynolds on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, but the Kutztown product delivered by punching in a score. 

Wide receivers: A

Though Amon-Ra St. Brown was held under 100 yards for the first time since Week 17, he had plenty of impactful moments. The wideout caught eight passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, which was an excellent connection with Goff on a fade route. 

Josh Reynolds had two big catches, the first being a 9-yard touchdown. On Gibbs' touchdown drive, he had an 18-yard catch that helped set up the score. 

Jameson Williams also provided two catches for 35 yards, including a well-run comeback route that saw him maintain possession despite taking a big hit. 

Tight ends: A

Sam LaPorta made a massive impact on Sunday's game with a game-high nine catches. The rookie, who has established himself as Goff's security blanket, converted a number of first downs for the offense. 

Brock Wright also provided a spark on a clever play called by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. With all the attention diverted to one side of the field, Wright snuck across the field and went for 29 yards on his only reception. 

Wright left the game with an injury and his status for next week is in doubt, so the Lions may need to lean more on Anthony Firkser in the NFC Championship game. Fullback Jason Cabinda, who caught one pass, is another potential option. 

Offensive line: B+

The offensive line took a beating in the first half, as both Jonah Jackson and Frank Ragnow were dealing with injuries. Jackson was ruled out with a knee injury and, like Wright, remains in doubt for next week. Kayode Awosika replaced him. 

Ragnow, however, returned to the game for the final snap of the first half and played through his setbacks. The veteran has dealt with numerous injuries this season, yet continued to power through Sunday and made the key block on Craig Reynolds' touchdown run. 

On that play, he got rolled up on again but once again remained in the game. Ragnow finished with just one pressure allowed on 44 pass-blocking snaps. 

Penei Sewell made a big block to spring an early run, and the Lions seemed to find their groove on the ground late in the game. 

Studs and Duds: Gibbs Runs Wild in Fourth Quarter

Defensive line: B-

Aidan Hutchinson continued his dominance with a sack, taking down Baker Mayfield to end Tampa Bay's first third quarter drive. Hutchinson finished with four quarterback hits. 

With James Houston inactive, the Lions leaned on alternative blitzes to generate heat on Mayfield outside of its defensive line. Alim McNeill had one tackle, while Tyson Alualu narrowly missed a sack. 

Linebackers: B

With his two-month-old son in attendance for the first time, Derrick Barnes delivered the game-winning moment. Leading 31-23 with under two minutes remaining, the third-year linebacker picked off Baker Mayfield's final pass to cement Detroit's trip to the NFC title game. 

It was the first interception in Barnes' career. The Purdue product finished with four tackles. 

Alex Anzalone had six, while Jack Campbell had three assisted tackles. Jalen Reeves-Maybin chipped in a half-sack when he teamed up with Ifeatu Melifonwu to take down Mayfield. 

Secondary: C+

For the fifth consecutive game, an opposing receiver surpassed 100 yards against the Lions' secondary. Mike Evans, one of the league's best, caught five passes for 147 yards and a score working against Cam Sutton. 

Evans had two long catches to set up a score on Tampa Bay's final first half drive, including a 29-yard reception to put the Buccaneers at Detroit's 2. 

Elsewhere, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn's unique blitz packages created easy sack opportunities for both Ifeatu Melifonwu and Brian Branch. Melifonwu finished with 1.5 sacks, while Branch had one sack and two tackles for loss. 

Branch and Melifonwu each tied for the team best in tackles with nine. C.J. Gardner-Johnson picked off a pass on Tampa Bay's first drive, which served as his revenge after Mayfield's comments about the veteran needing to watch more film earlier in the week. 

Special teams: B+

Michael Badgley converted his one field goal attempt, a 23-yarder after the Lions' drive stalled out in the red zone. Jack Fox delivered five punts for an average of 43.6 yards per. 

Donovan Peoples-Jones handled punts with Kalif Raymond missing a second straight game. He had two returns for 18 yards. 

Coaching: A

Dan Campbell once again delivered a memorable moment, guiding the Lions to the NFC Championship game for the second time in franchise history. The third-year coach made the right call settling for three on the first trip to the red zone, then elected to go for it when Reynolds punched in his rushing touchdown. 

The offense stalled out early, as Johnson made puzzling decisions to throw the ball near the goal line. However, the unit found its groove in the second half and scored three straight touchdowns. 

Defensively, Glenn's unique blitzes left Mayfield vulnerable against unblocked rushers. Though the defense bent, it bounced back and buckled down in key moments.

Next up for the Lions is another chance to make history. Detroit has never appeared in a Super Bowl, with the feat long considered to be unreachable. However, Campbell and company have shown that all heights are attainable, and an upset of the 49ers would cement the team as the best the organization has ever had.