The Detroit Lions held off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win 31-23 and move within one game of the team’s first Super Bowl.
Detroit hosted its first play-off game in 30 years last week and the long-suffering Lions fans celebrated a first play-off win in 32 years.
That secured another home game in the divisional round against an in-form Buccaneers team that just would not go away.
The Super Bowl 55 winners drew level at the end of the second quarter and the third and, although Detroit scored back-to-back touchdowns in the final quarter, the Bucs again hit back to cut the deficit.
Tampa Bay got the ball back with two minutes left but Detroit linebacker Derrick Barnes intercepted Baker Mayfield to secure a trip to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Conference Championship game next Sunday.
The Lions are one of just four teams never to play in the Super Bowl as although they have won four NFL championships, they all came before the first Super Bowl in 1967.
More to follow.


















