Lions hoping to make more history seeking first road playoff win since 1957

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ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) The have taken strides toward leaving their behind, pulling within a win of their first Super Bowl appearance.The next step will be challenging.Detroit plays at on Sunday in the NFC championship game, aiming for the franchise's first road playoff win since 1957, when it beat the 49ers and went on to win the NFL title.We're just getting over mountains right Lenny Dykstra Jersey now, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson said after helping to advance. Its just one mountain after another.ADVERTISEMENT The next one looms large.The top-seeded 49ers are favored to win by a touchdown, according to , in their third straight NFC title game. Detroit will be playing in the game for the first time in 32 years and the second time in franchise history.The Lions, though, do not lack confidence after beating the Los Angeles Rams in a wild-card game and the Buccaneers in the divisional round to give them 22 wins in 29 games starting with their season-ending surge in 2022.I dont want to say this arrogantly, but we expected to win the first game, we expected to win this game, Jared Goff said after throwing for 287 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. We get to go to a game we expected to be in against a really good team at their place, and were going to come into it expecting to win.Itll be a tough game, but it'll be fun.Detroit's win Blank Jersey over the Rams ended an NFL-record, nine-game postseason losing streak that spanned 32 years. The victory over the Bucs gave the franchise two playoff wins for the first time since its championship season six-plus decades ago.Like much of the Lions' past, their NFC championship game experience isn't positive.With Hall of Fame running Barry Sanders, Detroit went to Washington and lost 41-10 on Jan. 12, 1992.WHATS WORKINGThe Lions are averaging nearly four touchdowns a Mike Schmidt Jersey game in the playoffs, moving the ball through the air and on the ground as they did with one of the league's top offenses in the regular season.Goff is completing 74% of his pa ses and hasn't turned the ball over in the playoffs.Sam LaPorta had nine receptions against the Bucs, setting an NFL record for a rookie tight end, and his 12 catches rank No. 1 among first-year players at the position in a postseason.Jahmyr Gibbs, who had a tiebreaking 31-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, joined Marcus Allen (1982) and Joseph Addai (2006) as the NFL rookies with at least 80 yards rushing and receiving along with two scores in a postseason.WHAT NEEDS HELPDetroit had little depth at tight end behind LaPorta, which led to the team agreeing Monday to sign three-time Pro Bowl pick Zach Ertz, according to a person familiar with the deal. Ertz caught the go-ahead touchdown pa s in Philadelphia's Super Bowl win over New England six years ago and set a record for catches by a tight end in a season with 116 in 2018. Ertz was traded to Arizona during the 2021 season and asked for his release from the Cardinals earlier this season.Tight end Brock Wright was knocked out of the Bucs game with a Greg Luzinski Jersey forearm injury, a week after James Mitchell went on injured reserve. As of Monday, that left only Anthony Firkser in the tight end room with LaPorta.STOCK UPHutchinson has at least one sack in four straight games, and a total of eight during the sensational span, and at least three quarterback hits in five straight.STOCK DOWNDetroit's victory formation needs some work. on his last snap, with 14 seconds on the play clock and 37 seconds left in the game.We didnt handle that well on our end, Lions coach Dan Campbell acknowledged.Tampa Bay could have called a timeout, forcing the Lions to run another play, but coach Todd Bowles chose not to use it.No sense in prolonging the obvious, Bowles said after the game.INJURY REPORTCampbell said it doesn't look good for Wright or guard Jonah Jackson (knee) to Rhys Hoskins Jersey play at San Francisco.Return specialist Kalif Raymond has mi sed two straight games with a knee injury.KEY NUMBER14 The Lions' franchise-record win total this season, including the playoffs.___AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.___Follow Larry Lage at ___AP NFL: