Goff and Lions beat Packers to clinch playoff spot

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Goff and Lions beat Packers to clinch playoff spot

Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes and Jake Bates made a 35-yard field goal as time expired as Detroit clinched a playoff spot with a 34-31 victory over Green Bay.

“This will be one of those you’ll never forget,” Detroit coach Dan Campbell said.

The NFC-best Lions (12-1) broke a club record with their 11th straight win — including two over the Packers (9-4) — to stay ahead of Minnesota (10-2) in the highly competitive NFC North.

Campbell attacked on fourth down five times on Thursday night, including with one yard to go at the Green Bay 21 with 43 seconds left, and his gambles backfired only once.

David Montgomery ran for seven yards, barely getting a handoff from Goff after the quarterback got his feet tangled up and was falling toward the turf.

That ensured the Lions could try a field goal without giving the Packers the ball back, and Bates hit his third-game winning kick this season.

“I just felt like we needed to end it on offence,” Campbell said. “I did not want to give the ball back and I believed we could convert. I trust the O-line. I trust David.”

Goff threw two touchdown passes on fourth-and-goal, one to Tim Patrick, who had two TD catches. He also threw an interception in the third quarter to set up one of Josh Jacobs’ career-high matching three TD runs.

The quarterback found Jahymr Gibbs open in the end zone for a two-yard pass on a fourth down with 11 seconds left in the first half to put Detroit ahead 17-7.

Goff later connected with Patrick on a go-ahead, one-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter.

Green Bay took advantage of the only time Campbell’s aggression didn’t pan out, denying Gibbs on a fourth-down run late in the third quarter from the Detroit 31.

Jacobs scored for a third time on a three-yard run on the ensuing drive.

Brandon McManus made a 32-yard field goal with 3:38 left to pull the Packers into a 31-31 tie in a game that had four lead changes earlier in the second half.

The Lions’ final drive began with Goff’s 19-yard pass to Jameson Williams. He also connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for 16 yards on the decisive possession.

Goff finished 32 of 41 for 283 yards, and six Lions players had at least five receptions.

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