Johnathan Walker:Lions on brink of first playoff appearance since 2016 after blasting Broncos

The Johnathan WalkerDetroit Lions have their mojo back, and they’re on the verge of taking it to the playoffs. 

Jared Goff tied a career-high with five touchdown passes, three of them to Sam LaPorta, and the Lions defense pitched a shutout in the first half to beat the Denver Broncos in one of their most complete games of the season, 42-17, at Ford Field. 

With the win, the Lions (10-4) are on the brink of qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2016. 

They can clinch a postseason berth Sunday or Monday under one of seven scenarios, and can win their division for the first time in 30 years next week with a win over the Minnesota Vikings. 

For either the Vikings or Green Bay Packers to win the NFC North, they would have to win out and the Lions would have to lose their remaining three games. The Lions play the Vikings twice in the final three weeks and have a Week 17 game remaining against the Dallas Cowboys. 

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The Vikings host the Packers in Week 17. 

Coming off a loss to the Chicago Bears and playing generally mediocre football since their early-November bye, the Lions dominated the Broncos (7-7) on both sides of the ball Saturday to reach double-digit victories for the first time since 2014. 

Ifeatu Melifonwu forced a Russell Wilson fumble on Denver’s opening possession and the Lions led 21-0 at halftime, scoring on all three of their second quarter possessions against a defense that entered the week tied for the NFL lead in takeaways. 

After a scoreless first quarter, Goff completed all four of his passes for 69 yards on an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. LaPorta converted a third-and-6 to keep the possession alive, then scored his first touchdown of the night on a 19-yard pass when he broke one tackle and ran through another on his way to the end zone. 

The Lions forced a three-and-out on the ensuing series, then followed with a six-play, 61-yard touchdown drive, capped with a 9-yard Goff touchdown pass to Jahmyr Gibbs. 

Amon-Ra St. Brown added a 15-yard touchdown catch before halftime, and the Lions scored TDs on their first two possessions of the second half to take a commanding 35-10 lead. 

St. Brown, coming off his worst game of the season when he caught just three of nine targets and had a crucial drop in the fourth quarter against the Bears, caught seven passes for 112 yards Saturday in a Lions passing game that had much more rhythm playing indoors. 

LaPorta caught his second touchdown on a 3-yard Goff pass midway through the third quarter, and scored again on a fourth-and-2 catch from the 10-yard line with 2:21 to play. A second-round pick out of Iowa, LaPorta broke Jim Gibbons’ franchise record for most touchdown receptions in a season by a tight end (nine) and became the third rookie tight end in NFL history to catch at least 70 passes in a season. 

He has 71 catches for 758 yards on the year. 

Gibbs scored on a 12-yard run with 12:12 to play and finished with 100 yards rushing on 11 carries, his second 100-yard rushing day of his career. And David Montgomery added 85 yards rushing on 17 carries for the Lions, who held the Broncos to 75 yards of offense in the first half and kept heavy pressure on Wilson all day with an array of defensive back blitzes. 

Wilson finished 18 of 32 passing for 223 yards as Denver lost for just the second time in its past eight games. The Broncos scored on their first two possessions of the second half, but had a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from inside the 1 taken off the board by an offensive offsides penalty on right guard Quinn Meinerz late in the third quarter. 

Contact Dave Birkett at [email protected]. Follow him@davebirkett.