Sports
Lions advance to first NFC title game since 1991 season with win vs. Buccaneers
By Larry Holder, Colton Pouncy and Mike Jones
It’s only the second time in NFL history where this statement has been true: The Detroit Lions are one win away from a berth in the Super Bowl.
The Lions pulled away in the fourth quarter after both teams flip-flopped scoring throughout the first three quarters as Detroit knocked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 in the NFC divisional round on Sunday at Ford Field.
Detroit will travel to face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship next Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. The Niners toppled the Green Bay Packers in Saturday’s divisional round matchup.
This will be the Lions’ second NFC Championship Game appearance in the Super Bowl era. Detroit fell to Washington in the 1991 season in its first appearance.
Rookie tailback Jahmyr Gibbs darted through the middle of the offensive line, then took his cut to the left for a 31-yard touchdown run with 13:13 left in the game to push the Lions ahead 24-17. Then Detroit sealed it when Jared Goff hit Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 9-yard TD pass to make it 31-17 with 6:22 remaining.
Goff went 30-of-43 passing for 287 yards with two touchdowns resulting in a 103.5 passer rating.
Pure speed from the rookie.
📺: #TBvsDET on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/frRD38ClOq pic.twitter.com/bWTS2vHkyr— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
The Bucs managed to cut the lead to 31-23 on the next possession when Baker Mayfield found Mike Evans for a 16-yard TD pass at the 4:41 mark. The two-point conversion attempt failed. Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes picked off Mayfield with 1:33 left, though, to thwart any comeback.
The Lions’ fourth-quarter scoring sequence erased the trend from the first 45 minutes.
Detroit’s Craig Reynolds punched in a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down to push Detroit up 17-10 with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter. Mayfield helped Tampa Bay tie it up on the ensuing possession with a second game-tying TD by hitting Rachaad White on a screen pass for a 12-yard scoring connection.
Mayfield went 26-of-41 passing for 349 yards with three TDs and two interceptions for a 94.5 passer rating. Evans hauled in eight receptions for 147 yards and one TD.
The back-and-forth scoring trend started in the first half. Detroit broke a 3-3 tie when Goff hit Josh Reynolds on a crossing route for a 9-yard touchdown connection early in the second quarter.
The Athletic has live coverage of Chiefs vs. Bills in the AFC divisional round matchup
Then Evans added consecutive catches of 27 and 29 yards from Mayfield with less than a minute left put the Bucs at the 2. Mayfield capped off a 92-yard drive by finding Cade Otton on the next play for a 2-yard TD grab to make it 10-10 heading into halftime.
4th and Goal? Lions are going for it.
📺: #TBvsDET on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/frRD38ClOq pic.twitter.com/x9nVpCrGhP— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2024
Lions fans, this is happening!
The Lions are going to the NFC Championship. Yes, you read that right.
Those Lions are one win away from a Super Bowl appearance. They’re in this position because they took care of business against the Buccaneers, making every play they needed to. The offense put up 31 points, keeping its foot on the gas pedal and capitalizing in the red zone. The defense kept the Lions in this one until the offense was ready, and made the game-sealing play via a Barnes interception. That was a complete win, in the playoffs, for this Lions team. Detroit advances.
The Lions will face their biggest test yet, traveling to San Francisco to take on the 49ers. It won’t be easy going against Christian McCaffrey and the NFC’s No. 1 seed, but these Lions believe they can play anywhere, against anyone, and win. We’ll see what they have in store next week. — Colton Pouncy, Lions beat writer
GO DEEPER
Lions are winning playoff games and changing perceptions of what they can accomplish
Tampa Bay’s valiant fight comes up short
Tampa Bay put up a valiant fight, but in the fourth quarter just couldn’t come up with the stops needed to overtake the Lions. And then the Detroit defense stepped up big with the interception to seal the game. Detroit was just the better team. This game — especially in the second half — felt like a prize fight, but the Lions were the slightly more skilled and slightly more talented fighter and prevailed.
This one will sting for a while for Mayfield, but he delivered some very clutch plays under pressure for the Bucs and gave them a chance until that final possession. — Mike Jones, national NFL writer
Required reading
(Photo: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
Sports
Caitlin Clark reveals she vomited during halftime of Fever’s win, powered through illness
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
If you watched Caitlin Clark on Thursday night and thought she looked a little different in the second half of the Indiana Fever’s win, you’d be correct.
Clark told reporters after the Fever’s 83-71 victory over the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse that she vomited during halftime and didn’t spare any of the nauseating details.
“I haven’t puked that much in a really long time,” Clark said, via ESPN. “But then I felt fine. I felt light. So, I was running around feeling good in the second half, but [I] feel OK. Obviously, I’m losing my voice a little bit. But I’ll be good.”
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark looks on during the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on June 4, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
Clark powered through the illness, finishing with 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. She also tied her own WNBA record in the process.
During the win, she became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 150 points and 50 assists in a season. She first achieved the feat last season.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark looks on during the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on June 4, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
The win was a needed one for the Fever. Head coach Stephanie White and Clark became the talk of the WNBA after a video of their heated sideline exchange went viral. The win snapped a two-game losing streak and brought them back to over .500, at 5-4.
Clark said everybody this week looked in the mirror and found ways to improve.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark reacts to a foul in the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on June 4, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)
“A lot of people have called and asked me how I am, and I said, ‘What do you mean? I’m great,’” Clark said. “I think a lot of self-reflection from everybody (this week), like look yourself in the mirror and find ways to get better. That’s certainly what I did.”
Clark will try to overcome her illness when the Fever look to build on their positive momentum against the New York Liberty on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Sports
Vegas’ Brayden McNabb takes a puck to the face, forced to leave Game 2 of Stanley Cup Finals
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was forced to leave Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Thursday after taking a puck to his face on a slap shot midway through the first period.
The 14-year veteran, who played for the Kings from 2014-2017, did not return to the game. ESPN is reporting that McNabb was taken from Levno Center in Raleigh, N.C., to a hospital for evaluation.
Vegas coach John Tortorella did not have an update on McNabb’s status after his team’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Carolina Huricanes, and the Golden Knights had not provided one as of early Friday morning.
McNabb was defending in front of the net with 9:08 remaining in the first period when a blistering shot by Carolina winger Nikolaj Ehlers hit him in the facial area. Slow-motion replays show the puck may have struck the protective visor on McNabb’s helmet near his eyes.
After crumpling to the ice, McNabb immediately climbed to his feet, skated off the playing area and headed down the tunnel while holding a hand over his nose and mouth.
“It’s a scary play,” Vegas forward Brett Howden said after the game. ”You never want to see that. Just hope he’s doing all right. We haven’t seen him yet but hope he’s doing OK.”
Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin said: “Any time you see that happen to a teammate, especially to a guy like Nabber who is a huge part of this team, a leader, it’s tough. It’s hard to see that happen to any guy on the ice. We’re just hoping for the best for him.”
Born in Davidson, Canada, McNabb was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the third round of the 2009 entry draft. He played in 37 games for the Sabres and was acquired by the Kings on March 5, 2014. Los Angeles also received Jonathan Parker and a pair of draft picks in exchange for Hudson Fasching and Nic Deslauriers.
McNabb had six goals and 36 assists in three seasons with the Kings before being selected by Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft. This is his third Stanley Cup Finals with the Golden Knights, who won the championship in 2023.
In Vegas’ 5-4 Game 1 victory against Carolina on Tuesday, McNabb had three assists for the first time in his career. Ben Hutton and Kaedan Korczak are possible options to take McNabb’s spot if he can’t play in Saturday’s Game 3 in Las Vegas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Seth Jarvis scores overtime game-winner as Hurricanes storm back from 2-0 deficit to even Stanley Cup Final
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Carolina Hurricanes have evened up the Stanley Cup Final in thrilling fashion, coming back from down 2-0 to win in overtime, 4-3.
It was Seth Jarvis, who has been criticized for not having his usual production in the playoffs, hammering home a power-play one-timer to send the crowd into a frenzy as the Hurricanes salvaged a home game before heading on the road.
This game looked like another chapter in Brett Howden’s surprising playoff run. The Golden Knights forward scored just 12 goals during the regular season, but his two-goal performance in this contest brought his postseason total to 13. He is in clear contention for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.
Seth Jarvis of the Carolina Hurricanes looks to pass during game one of the NHL Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on June 2, 2026. (Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire)
His first goal of this game was from a nifty Mitch Marner floater down ice. It’s unknown if he was trying to find Howden on the other end, or just clearing his own zone, but it worked out as Howden settled the puck and was quick to snap a wrister past Frederik Anderson.
Then, just after a power play ended for Vegas, Ivan Barbashev, who scored in Game 1’s victory, found Howden streaking toward the offensive zone and put the puck right on his stick. Howden, riding high throughout these playoffs, made a tremendous move and deked out Anderson for his second goal of the game.
NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS BETTING GUIDE: WHY THE HURRICANES ARE THE PICK TO BEAT THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
The Lenovo Center crowd was silenced, as Howden’s heroics gave the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead heading into the third period. But the Stanley Cup Playoffs have a way of getting weird, and Game 2 was proof of that with a back-and-forth battle between these two teams.
Midway through the third, the Hurricanes got the goal they needed from Logan Stankoven on a hard-fought battle behind the net for a puck, which he turned into a wraparound shot past Carter Hart. It got the crowd back into the contest, and Carolina used it to their advantage.
It was Mark Jankowski getting his first goal of the playoffs joining a rush similar to Marner’s flip down ice to Howden earlier in the game. Eric Robinson was trying to get the puck to William Cartier, and a pinball effect saw it land right in front of Jankowski, who fired it off the right post and into the net. Just like that — tie game in Carolina.
Mark Jankowski of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates a third-period goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Two of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on June 4, 2026. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
With the game hanging in the balance, both teams pressed for the winner. Vegas was trying to grab a 2-0 series lead before returning home for Games 3 and 4, while Carolina was looking to protect home ice and avoid heading on the road down two games.
It looked as if Carolina was going to fulfill the comeback, as Jordan Staal tipped home a shot from Shayne Gostisbehere during a power play that came after the Golden Knights challenged a potential goal on a sprawling save by Anderson. It was a risky move by head coach John Tortorella, and it backfired with 4:35 left in the game as Carolina took the 3-2 lead.
DESPITE POTENTIAL RATINGS NIGHTMARE FOR NHL, VEGAS-CAROLINA STANLEY CUP FINAL STILL HAS PLENTY OF INTRIGUE
But Vegas found itself on the power play shortly thereafter. However, the ‘Canes played it perfectly, with the Golden Knights only getting one shot off before killing it and getting back to even strength. Vegas had no choice but to pull Hart from the net, allowing them the extra skater.
Then, Mark Stone, the Golden Knights’ captain, said not so fast, batting a puck past Anderson following a Marner shot to tie the game at three apiece with less than two minutes to play in the game. And upon video replay, it was Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin who accidentally hit the puck into Anderson, bouncing it off his shoulder and pushing it into the net.
Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights reacts after scoring a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period of Game 2 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., on June 4, 2026. (Jeff Bottari/NHLI)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Overtime was needed as a result, and the first break in the extra period came after Tomas Hertl, the game-winning goal scorer in Game 1, was called for tripping, sending the Hurricanes to the power play once again.
Carolina made it hurt, and now Game 3 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas should be a fun one to watch as this series has gotten off to a high-octane start.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
-
Sports5 minutes agoCaitlin Clark reveals she vomited during halftime of Fever’s win, powered through illness
-
Technology12 minutes agoCarnival breach may put your travel data at risk
-
Business15 minutes agoPolluted rain runoff from big box store parking lots could see a crackdown
-
Entertainment20 minutes agoSAG-AFTRA members approve deal with major studios
-
Lifestyle27 minutes agoL.A. Affairs: What a Facebook Marketplace pickup taught me about grief and starting over
-
Politics30 minutes agoL.A. city attorney likely to be first incumbent ousted in primary in nearly 100 years
-
Sports42 minutes agoVegas’ Brayden McNabb takes a puck to the face, forced to leave Game 2 of Stanley Cup Finals
-
World50 minutes ago‘Red meat is a dream’: Iran inflation hits highest level since World War II