A viral video clip shows Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff sharing a classy post-game exchange with San Francisco 49ers signal-caller Brock Purdy following Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.
Purdy’s 49ers rallied from a 17-point halftime deficit and narrowly escaped with a 34-31 victory to win the franchise’s eighth NFC Championship banner. The thrilling comeback win has set up a Super Bowl 54 rematch with Patrick Mahomes and the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
After the heartbreaking loss, a classy and humble Goff hugged Purdy at midfield and told him, “Love everything you stand for.”
The Lions quickly jumped out to a 14-0 lead and looked poised to win the franchise’s first NFC Championship after 30 minutes. But the wheels quickly came off for a Detroit team that missed too many tackles and fell apart in man-to-man coverage.
A costly third quarter fumble that allowed the 49ers to tie it up on a Christian McCaffrey touchdown also didn’t help matters. Nor did inexcusable drops by Detroit’s receivers, nor Dan Campbell’s overly-aggressive fourth down play-calling that backfired completely.
Indeed, it was a brutal loss for the Lions to stomach after a) winning their first division crown in 30 years and b) winning their first playoff game since 1991. Getting to the NFC title game was a giant accomplishment in itself, but this heartbreaking defeat is going to sting throughout the offseason.
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Only time will tell how the Lions rebound from what is by far the franchise’s most painful loss in the Super Bowl era.
