The NFC Divisional Round has plenty of interesting storylines as the Bucks head to Motown to take on the Lions.
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
beginning, This will be a rematch of the Week 6 contest. between the two teams. The Lions traveled to Raymond James Stadium for the Creamsicle game and defeated the Bucks 20-6. After defeating the Eagles in the NFC Wild Card Round and avenging their loss in Week 3, The Bucks hope to continue their revenge tour in Detroit.
Another big story will be the fact that the Lions won their first playoff game since the 1991 season. It was their first home playoff game since the 1993 season, and they did their job, narrowly defeating the Rams by a score of 24-23. Can Detroit achieve two playoff wins in two weeks, or will their playoff glory be short-lived?
Finally, there’s probably one of the most interesting storylines in the game, a matchup between two former No. 1 picks at quarterback who each have their own stories of redemption. One of these redemption arcs will last until next week’s NFC Championship Game, while the other will end at least as long as the 2023 season continues.
Mayfield of the Bucks and Goff of the Lions both have impressive comeback stories.
Both stories are not exactly the same, and the two have taken different paths to get to where they are today. But Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield and Lions signal-caller Jared Goff are both in the midst of comebacks that once seemed impossible.
![Bucks Qb Baker Mayfield and Lions Qb Jared Goff](https://www.pewterreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/usa_today_13402881-1-300x200.jpg)
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield and Lions QB Jared Goff – Photo courtesy of USA Today
For Goff, he was the Rams’ No. 1 overall pick in 2016. The California native’s career got off to an inauspicious start. He threw five touchdowns and seven interceptions as a rookie and went 0-7 as a starter. But in 2017, he became a Pro Bowler, throwing 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions as Los Angeles made the playoffs.
In 2018, Goff threw 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and the Rams reached the Super Bowl, losing 13-3 to Tom Brady and the Patriots. Goff was selected to the Pro Bowl that year as well and regressed to 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 2019, but led the Rams back to the playoffs in 2020 before being eliminated in the NFC divisional round.
That offseason, Goff was waived by the team that drafted him No. 1 overall in 2016. The Rams traded him and several picks to the Lions for quarterback Matthew Stafford. The trade immediately paid off for Los Angeles, who won a Super Bowl in his first year with Stafford.
Meanwhile, Goff was in Detroit and the team was in the early stages of a rebuild. However, Goff has been a steady presence as the Lions have improved from 3-10-1 in 2021 to 9-8 last year and 12-5 this year. He has thrown for 12,258 yards, 78 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions in his three years with the team, with the highlight so far being just last week, when he and the Lions defeated Stafford and the Rams in Detroit’s first game in over 30 years. That was when we won the playoffs.
![Bucks QB Baker Mayfield](https://www.pewterreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Mayfield-Baker-Bucs-Jags-pose-300x200.jpg)
Bucks QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
By now, Bucks fans are likely familiar with Mayfield’s story. Like Goff, he was selected by the Browns as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. Cleveland’s history of terrible quarterbacks quickly became a thing of the past when Mayfield came to town. The former Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma was the PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018 and had a career year in 2020, leading the Browns to their first return to the playoffs. Time since 2002.
Not only that, but Mayfield led the Browns to their first playoff victory since the 1994 postseason. But he battled injuries and inconsistency throughout 2021, and then Cleveland passed on him. The Browns traded Deshaun Watson, sexual assault and misconduct allegations, and more, marking the end of Mayfield’s tenure. They ended up releasing him to the Panthers, but after things didn’t work out there early in the 2022 season, he was released and finished the year with the Rams.
Now, Mayfield shined this year on a demonstration contract with the Bucks. He threw for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during the regular season, helping Tampa Bay win their third straight NFC South title. Little was expected of Mayfield and the Bucs, but they made the playoffs. The journey isn’t over yet, as his 337-yard and three-touchdown performance in a 32-9 wild-card win over the Eagles sent Tampa Bay to face Detroit in the NFC Divisional Round.
And on Sunday, Mayfield and Goff’s comeback stories will intersect at Ford Field. Both quarterbacks became castaways and were largely eliminated by the team that drafted them No. 1 overall. But now they’re here, fighting for a spot in the NFC Championship Game.