DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – It has been five years since Detroit has seen seven wins in a season and the Lions met that feat with a 20-17 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. It took a team effort and some Detroit magic to make it happen but it did and now the Lions are in playoff talks since 2016. A punt return for a touchdown, two field goals, and a fourth down touchdown all equaled a .500 record for the Lions are now 3-3 on the road.
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The fourth quarter magic came in the final five minutes on a 78-yard drive trailing, 17-13. With only 4:41 left in the game, veteran Jared Goff had a chance to prove why he is in Detroit…and he did. Taking almost three minutes off the clock, and under the two minute warning, Goff drove the Lions down the field. It came down to a fourth-and-one at midfield with 1:49 left. Instead of a push forward to get the first down, a play-action to the right was called as Brock Wright came back across the left wide open. Goff executed the play brilliantly throwing back to Wright, who was wide open, as he galloped 51-yards for the go-ahead score. Goff worked his comeback magic putting the Lions ahead.
But, Detroit left 1:49 on the clock for Zach Wilson and the Jets to create a miracle of their own at home. Wilson took over at their own 25-yard line. The defense pursued and pressured creating a two sacks and four incomplete passes. Wilson, though, still found a receiver down the field on a fourth-and-18 with 14 seconds left being tackled at the Lions’ 40-yard line. This set up a 58-yard field goal with just seconds left in the game. Zuerlein came on for the Jets but the kick was wide left as Detroit held on for their third straight win, 20-17.
Goff finished the game 28-of-38 for 252 yards and one touchdown. Four different players rushed the ball as D’Andre Swift finished with 52 yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown led the team with 76 yards receiving. Wright’s only reception of the day was a 51-yard touchdown pass.
After Detroit took almost eight minutes off the clock to start the game ending on a fourth-and-on on the goal line that was stuffed, New York took over at the two-yard line. Detroit’s defense forced a three-and-out with two incomplete passes and a minus-one yard run setting up a punt from the back of the end zone. Mann set up for the punt air it out to the 47-yard line where Kalif Raymond took on the left sideline. Making the first Jet miss, Raymond had a path to the left putting on the burners to the end zone for a 7-0 lead with six minutes left in the first quarter.
New York tied the game just into the second quarter on a 40-yard pass on a three-play drive. Just seven minutes later, Michael Badgley hit his first of two field goals on the day on a 31-yard attempt to retake the lead, 10-7, at 7:06. New York, though, had a 34-yard field as time expired at the half to tie the game at 10.
The Jets were driving to start the third quarter on the opening possession when the defense made a big stop. Jerry Jacobs read Wilson’s pass and picked it off at the Detroit 47-yard line returning it to the 15-yard line. The offense couldn’t convert it into a touchdown but Badgley gave Detroit the lead on a 34-yard field goal at the 11:55 mark, 13-10.
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The rest of the offensive series resulted in punts the rest of the third quarter until Detroit had a third chance for a field goal to begin the fourth. They drove to the New York 36-yard line stopped on a third-and-five setting up a 54-yard attempt. Badgley’s kick was short as New York took over with 7:53 left in the game. Wilson took control going 56 yards to finish on a one-yard pass for their first lead of the game, 17-13. That set up Goff and the Lions for the game winning score as Detroit Magic happened.
The rest is history as the Lions held off the Jets on a last second field goal for their seventh win of the year.
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