EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jared Goff and Brock Wright teamed up to save the season, just when it looked like a 54-yard field goal try might do in the Detroit Lions again.
Goff threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Wright with 1:49 to play Sunday as the Lions rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the New York Jets, 20-17, at MetLife Stadium.
The Lions (7-7) have won three straight and six of their past seven games to move within a game of the final wild-card spot in the NFC playoffs. The Lions have three games remaining against teams with a sub-.500 record: at the Carolina Panthers next week, home against the Chicago Bears in Week 17 and at the Green Bay Packers to close the regular season.
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They have a 42% chance to make the playoffs as of Sunday afternoon, according to FiveThirtyEight.com. The Washington Commanders and New York Giants are both 7-5-1 and own the sixth and seventh spots in the NFC. They play on Sunday Night Football in Washington. Seattle is in eighth place at 7-7, and owns the tiebreaker over the Lions due to a 48-45 win Week 4 in Detroit.
The Lions controlled play most of Sunday, holding the Jets (7-7) to three first downs on their first four possessions of the second half, but gave New York’s sputtering offense life with a risky field goal try with just under 8 minutes to play.
Michael Badgley left his 54-yard attempt short, and the Jets started the ensuing possession at their own 44-yard line.
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Zach Wilson, making his first start since he was benched following a 77-yard passing day in a Week 11 loss to the New England Patriots, completed a 33-yard pass to Garrett Wilson on the second play of the series, then threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Uzomah with 4:41 to play.
The decision to kick the field goal was reminiscent of one Lions coach Dan Campbell tried in a Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Austin Seibert missed that try, and the Vikings scored the winning touchdown three plays later with 45 seconds left.
On Sunday, the Lions answered the Jets’ rally with their own.
Wright dropped a pass on the first play of the drive, but the Lions went back to him on fourth-and-1 from their own 49-yard line on the first play after the two-minute warning.
Wright, who took over as the Lions’ No. 1 tight end after the trade of T.J. Hockenson, faked a block from the right side of the line of scrimmage and leaked across the middle of the field as the Jets defense followed a play-action fake the other direction.
Goff threw to a wide open Wright, who sprinted down the sideline to the end zone, adding to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s impressive resume.