For the first time since 1992, the Detroit Lions are heading to the NFC Championship. After beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon, the Lions are one win away from their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. Ford Field, which had been on their feet all game, erupted the moment that linebacker Derrick Barnes sealed the win with an interception of Bucs QB Baker Mayfield, and the team tweeted out the on-field angle from the exact moment it happened:
Y'all ever heard a roof pop off a building?@derrickbarnes21 | #AllGrit pic.twitter.com/KSFvFxKBH9
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 21, 2024
"[The seam] is where he wanted to go all year," Barnes explained after the game. "You see it on film. He wants to go down the seam. And I was literally emphasizing that myself when he called that play. And I wanted to insulate a little bit to see if he was going to throw that dagger [route] behind me, and I turned around and I saw the ball coming. And in that moment I was like, 'there's no way I'm going to drop this, so I'm going to go grab it.' It's amazing. I can't really express the feeling. It's great."
It's a moment that Barnes, and Lions fans, will never forget. The Lions, however, will soon have to turn their attention towards the NFC Championship, their first road game of this playoffs run. They'll head to San Francisco for their first matchup of the year against the 49ers. San Francisco's all-time record against Detroit is 39-28-1. It'll kick off Sunday, Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m. ET.