When the Detroit Lions needed a backbreaking play, a Purdue Boilermaker made it happen.
Linebacker Derrick Barnes erased Tampa Bay’s hopes of any late-game heroics when he picked off quarterback Baker Mayfield late in the fourth quarter on Sunday in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.
The turnover allowed the Lions, up by eight, to run out the clock and advance to next week’s NFC Championship Game.
The pick came at the Bucs’ own 28-yard line with 1:35 left in the game. Tampa Bay needed a touchdown and a two-point conversion to tie things up.
Barnes didn’t give them the chance, diving over the middle to pluck Mayfield’s pass out of the air. The play set off a euphoric celebration at Detroit’s Ford Field.
Barnes played four seasons at Purdue (2017-2020), where he finished with 225 tackles, 10.5 sacks and an interception in 43 games. The Lions chose him in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft (113th overall pick).
The Covington, Kentucky, native drew the ire of Lions fans just a few games ago, when it looked like he had a clear shot on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who sidestepped a blitzing Barnes and uncorked a 92-yard touchdown pass to receiver CeeDee Lamb.
A sack would’ve likely led to a safety; the Lions ended up losing the Week 17 game in controversial fashion.
The best way to make up for the gaffe was to keep playing—and Barnes came through in the clutch with his first interception as a pro.
The Lions next hit the road to take on the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. They’re looking to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.
