DETROIT — They started chanting his name nearly an hour before kickoff, shortly after legendary rocker and Detroit native Bob Seger was spotted on the field and introduced by the PA announcer to a roar.
“Ja-red Goff, Ja-red Goff, Ja-red Goff.’’
Often-maligned quarterback Jared Goff heard those chants last week, too, when he and the Lions were exorcizing the demons of countless empty postseasons in Detroit by beating the Rams and former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in the wild-card round to earn a second home playoff game.
That was Detroit’s first playoff win in 32 years.
You thought Goff had a day last week?
Entering Sunday in the Motor City, it was difficult to imagine him having a better, more satisfying night than the one he enjoyed last Sunday when he and the Lions dispatched Stafford and the Rams.
In the place that Stafford called home for 12 years.
And with the Ford Field crowd in full throat, loudly chanting his name.
But now Goff enters an entirely new place of self-satisfaction: After Sunday’s 31-23 Lions victory over the Buccaneers in the divisional playoff round, Goff is one more playoff win away from taking the Lions to their first Super Bowl in franchise history — something Stafford never came close to doing.
Moments after Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes picked off Baker Mayfield with 1:33 remaining in the game to seal it and Goff was taking a knee in the victory formation to bleed the clock out, there were those chants again.
“Ja-red Goff, Ja-red Goff, Ja-red Goff.”
Goff is the leader of a blue-collar Detroit outfit that’s the real “America’s Team’’ — Dallas Cowboys be damned.
The Lions are a star-less band of castoffs and second-chance players led by a head coach in Dan Campbell, with whom just about everyone in America wants to belly up to a bar with and knock back beers.
Goff is the ultimate castoff, ridiculed as a throw-in piece to the trade from LA to Detroit that sent Stafford to the Rams in 2021.
Goff finished 30-for-43 for 287 yards with two TDs and no turnovers.
To be fair, both quarterbacks playing in this game deserved this glory. Mayfield deserved this as much as Goff did. It felt like such a long time coming for both of them, it was difficult not to root for both.
The only shame on this day was that both would not be able to go to the NFC Championship game, that both don’t get to play again next week, that one would have to go home after Sunday’s game.
This was the “Redemption Bowl” and the stars were the two once-forgotten quarterbacks.
Both played the game like they refused to lose. Both played like they were making up for lost time. Like they were using these 60 minutes of playoff football to prove a point — to their former employers and to the countless fans who gave up on them.
When it was over, it was Goff who trotted triumphantly off his home field the winner to those sweet sounds of his name being chanted. Next up is a trip to Santa Clara, Calif., where the No. 1 seeded 49ers await.
Goff is a West Coast native having gone to high school in Marin County and played his college ball at Cal-Berkeley.
“With this guy at the helm, we’re not done yet,’’ Lions center Frank Ragnow said, pointing to Goff.
“I get to go back home and play in front of some friends and family,’’ Goff said.
Everyone one of those 66,201 in the house treated him as if he were family.
“They’re the best,’’ Goff said, staring at the stands of celebrating Lions fans. “Look around, they’re not going to leave here for a while. They deserve this. They deserve to enjoy this and we hope to give them a lot more going forward.’’
It was beautifully fitting that, as Goff walked off the field after doing some interviews, the PA system at Ford Field was playing Aretha Franklin’s hit “Respect.’’
Campbell this week told anyone who would listen that the Lions’ bandwagon is full, urging the previous doubters not to bother jumping on.
“He’s the best leader I’ve ever been around,’’ Ragnow said of Campbell. “We authentically love this guy.’’
So, Campbell, Goff and the rest of the Lions now go to a championship game for the first time in 32 years and the Bobby Layne days.
“We’re on a roll right now,’’ Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson said. “As ‘AG’ [defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn] said, ‘We’re just cashing checks and getting rings right now.’ ’’