As the Detroit Lions players prepared for their Wild Card meeting with the Los Angeles Rams, it wasn't lost on them how much hosting a playoff game meant to the people of Detroit. That pride shined through as the Lions defeated the Rams 24-23 to move onto the playoffs' divisional round.

“The city needed this and deserved this after 30 years,” tight end Sam LaPorta remarked on the field after the win, courtesy of ESPN's Lindsey Thiry. The 30 years refers of course to the last time Detroit hosted a playoff game, all the way back in January of 1993.

And the win? The Lions' first in the postseason since January of 1992.

The fact that LaPorta even played speaks to how badly he wanted to be a part of delivering a win to the city. The rookie star suffered a bone bruise and hyperextended knee in Week 18.

Initially, missing time was not a question of “if”, but “how much” for LaPorta. Instead, he gutted through the pain, despite being limited in practice all week.

And while LaPorta's numbers were modest, one of his three catches did got for a touchdown to extend the Lions' lead midway through the second quarter.

Lions rally around city, Goff

There was plenty of fire lit under Detroit's players. Beyond civic pride, they were playing for their quarterback. Jared Goff was famously traded by the Rams to the Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford. While Stafford was the prize in the deal, Goff's contract was seen as an albatross that the Rams were desperate to offload.

Jared Goff led the Lions to victory over the Vikings

“[I]f there was any extra incentive needed, it was definitely for (Goff)” LaPorta confirmed after the game.

The Rams don't regret the trade (after all, Stafford did deliver a Super Bowl.) But it had to sting to lose at the hands of a quarterback that Rams coach Sean McVay deemed not good enough not too long ago.