NFC North

Lions beat Buccaneers, move to NFC Championship vs. 49ers

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions are heading to the NFC Championship for the second time in the Super Bowl era. After a back-and-forth battle with the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field on Sunday, the Lions pulled away with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, and linebacker Derrick Barnes delivered a game-sealing interception to put the Lions on the cusp of a first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. With the 31-23 victory over the Buccaneers, the Lions will travel to San Francisco to play the top-seeded 49ers next Sunday. The game is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game was tied at b…