Bucs CB Jamel Dean – Photo by: USA Today Two Buccaneer penalties helped the Detroit offense move right down the field after the interception, setting up 1st & Goal. Jamel Dean could’ve swung things right back in Tampa Bay’s favor, but instead he dropped an easy interception on second down. But the defense did stand tall on third down, forcing the Lions to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Michael Badgley. Still, after the turnover, it was a 3-0 lead for the home team. Baker Mayfield and the offense bounced back on their next drive. An 18-yard pass to Evans and a 23-yarder to Trey Palmer got the Bucs into Lions territory, but another sack by a defensive back – Brian Branch this time – brought the drive to a halt. Despite that, Chase McLaughlin came on to drill a 43-yard field goal, tying the game at 3-3. Jared Goff went to work on the Lions’ next possession, picking Todd Bowles’ defense apart all the way down the field. He converted two third downs near the end of the first quarter and then opened the second quarter with another conversion. Then, on 3rd & 5 from the 9-yard line, he found a wide-open Josh Reynolds for the game’s first touchdown. That capped off a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took 6:46 and gave Detroit a 10-3 lead. Both teams traded punts from there before Tampa Bay looked to be getting back into it. A 23-yard pass from Mayfield to Evans, a third-down conversion from Mayfield to White and a 14-yard pass from Mayfield to Cade Otton got the ball into Lions territory again. But there, the drive stalled. Mayfield missed Chris Godwin on 3rd & 5 and to make matters worse, McLaughlin’s 50-yard field goal attempt went off the left upright to keep the game at 10-3 with 2:24 left before halftime. 
Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today The Bucs defense did get the ball back to the offense with time to work with before the break, though, as Calijah Kancey got to Goff for a crucial third-down sack. It looked like a big play at the time, but the Tampa Bay offense made it even more impactful. Going from their own 8-yard line, the Bucs put together one of their most impressive drives of the season. An 11-yard run by White, a nine-yard catch by Palmer (with a questionable spot) and a 14-yard quarterback keeper by Mayfield got things going. From there, Mayfield and Evans connected for 27 and 30 yards – with the 30-yarder coming on an incredible catch – to set up 1st & Goal. One play later, Mayfield hit Otton for a touchdown. With the PAT, Tampa Bay tied the game at 10 heading into halftime. Out of the break, Tampa Bay looked like it was going to continue moving the ball at will. A 12-yard catch by Godwin and runs of five and 14 yards by White got the ball across midfield, but Mayfield eventually took a costly sack on third down. Aidan Hutchinson came in unblocked and dropped Mayfield, pushing the Bucs out of field goal range. Detroit and Tampa Bay traded punts after that, then the Lions got back out in front. The big play of the possession was a 3rd-&-1 pass to Brock Wright that went for 29 yards. After two incompletions from the 1-yard line later in the drive, Craig Reynolds got in on 4th & Goal to give Detroit a 17-10 lead. 
Bucs RB Rachaad White – Photo by: USA Today When the Bucs needed it most, they put together another phenomenal drive. Cade Otton was the star of it, catching passes of nine, 13 and 27 yards to help get the ball down to the Detroit 12. Then, after Mayfield was lucky enough to not be called down for a sack, Dave Canales dialed up the perfect play. A screen to Rachaad White against the blitz led to a 12-yard touchdown, which tied the game at 17 right at the end of the third quarter. The Lions answered right back early in the fourth quarter, though. Jahmyr Gibbs broke free and beat Antoine Winfield Jr. one-on-one in the open field on his way to a 31-yard touchdown. Just like that, it was a 24-17 lead for Detroit. The Lions then locked to finally get the knockout punch that eluded them for three quarters. After getting a stop, they marched 89 yards in 10 plays, setting up a 9-yard touchdown pass from Goff to Amon’Ra St. Brown to make it 31-17 with 6:22 left. But the Bucs weren’t going to go quietly. Mayfield connected with Evans for 24 yards on a 4th & 14 early in the drive and after getting down inside the red zone, the two linked up again for a 16-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion try was no good, leaving it a 31-23 game with 4:37 left. Tampa Bay was still in it, and after Detroit killed a couple of minutes, the defense got a stop. With 1:59 to go, Mayfield and the offense got the ball back at the 10-yard line. Just two plays into the drive, though, Derrick Barnes intercepted Mayfield on a pass intended for Otton. With that, the Bucs’ dream run came to an end and the Lions got themselves a place in next week’s NFC Championship Game. 
Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today Baker Mayfield finished the day 26-of-41 for 349 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Mike Evans stepped up with a big day, catching eight of his 12 targets for 147 yards and a score. And for the second week in a row, Cade Otton delivered. He caught five passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. Finally, Rachaad White ran nine times for 55 yards and caught four passes for 36 yards and a touchdown. The Bucs defense once again failed to have an answer for Lions quarterback Jared Goff. He completed 30 of his 43 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs was a big factor late, too, and he finished the day with 74 yards and a touchdown on nine carries to go with his four catches for 40 yards. Lavonte David was the Bucs’ leading tackler, totaling 13 (nine solo) to go along with a sack and two tackles for loss. Calijah Kancey chipped in with another sack himself, while Jamel Dean racked up three passes defensed before exiting the game with a back injury. As the Lions move on to face the 49ers, the Bucs will enter what should be an interesting offseason full of decisions surrounding Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Lavonte David and Antoine Winfield Jr., among others. The post Bucs’ Playoff Run Ends With Crushing 31-23 Loss To Lions appeared first on Pewter Report. https://www.pewterreport.com/bucs-playo ... oss-lions/
