Cal Sports Report

Aaron Rodgers Sharp in Finale, but Jared Goff Just as Good in Lions' Win

Two former Cal stars play well in Lions-Packers game on Sunday

Jake Curtis

Aaron Rodgers Sharp in Finale, but Jared Goff Just as Good in Lions' Win
Aaron Rodgers Sharp in Finale, but Jared Goff Just as Good in Lions' Win /

Former Car star Aaron Rodgers ended the regular season with another strong performance in limited action on Sunday, probably earning him another MVP award. But he was no better than the other ex-Golden Bears quarterback of that game -- Detroit's Jared Goff.

The Lions beat the Packers 37-30, but the score was incidental.

Rodgers played the first half for the Packers and was 14-for-18 for 138 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and an impressive 135.6 passer rating.

That left Rodgers with 37 touchdown passes and four interceptions for the season, and 20 TD passes and no picks in the last seven games. He will finish the season as the NFL leader in passer rating. 

Rodgers did not play in the second half, as Jordan Love took over in the third quarter.

Goff had missed the past two games and had his best performance of the season in his most recent game, a 30-12 victory over Arizona on Dec. 19.   But he was sharp again in the first half against the Packers on Sunday, going 14-for-17 for 131 yards, one touchdown, no picks and a 118.4 passer rating before halftime, which ended with the Lions holding a 17-13 lead.

He was not quite as good in the second half, but finished the game 21-for-30 for 238 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 115.7 passer rating.

In his final five games, Goff threw 10 touchdown passes with two interceptions, and had his three best games of the season in that final five-game stretch.  He provided evidence that maybe he should be the Lions' starter in 2022 and beyond, although there will be discussion about that. For the season he had 19 touchdown passes and eight interceptions, and combined with the Lions' 3-13-1 final record, that does not amount to a great season for a starting quarterback.   But he was clearly getting more comfortable and more productive in the final few games.

Back to Rodgers.

On Green Bay's first possession of the game, Rodgers led the Packers on a 15-play, 74-yard scoring drive that took 7:18 off the clock.  Rodgers completed 6-of-8 passes for 56 yards in the drive, and he finished it off with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard. 

He was sacked twice in the Packers' two possessions Sunday, and Matt LaFleur no doubt held his breath every time that happens because an injury to Rodgers would ruin Green Bay's playoff hopes. The Packers had clinched the top seed in the NFC before Sunday's game, but most of the regulars started Sunday's game to maintain momentum and rhythm.

Rodgers presumably will win his fourth MVP award this season, unless his comments and behavior over the past several months cause a sizable number of the 50 MVP voters to snub him. One MVP voter, Hub Arkush, the editor of Pro Football Weekly, said this week he would not vote for Rodgers for MVP because he thought Rodgers' comments during the offseason, saying he wanted to be traded, were detrimental to the team and Packer fans. Rodgers' comments about not being vaccinated also turned some people off, although it reamains to be seen whether that will influence any of the 50 media members who vote for the MVP.

The Packers were less successful in their next two possessions, with Rodgers still in the game for both. But after the Lions took a 14-7 lead, Rodgers led another touchdown drive, finishing it with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Lazard. (A missed extra point left Green Bay behind 14-13.)

Meanwhile, the Lions-Packers game also featured the return of another former Cal quarterback -- Goff. He missed the past two games -- one because of COVID and the other because of a knee injury -- but was a starter against the Packers.

He was just as efficient as he had been against the Cardinals. He completed a 2-yard, fourth-down pass to Amon-Re St. Brown for a touchdown that gave Detroit a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. 

Goff later led a 59-yard drive in the closing seconds of the first half that led to a field goal with two seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Goff kept it going early in the third quarter, throwing a 36-yard touchdown pass to Brock Wright on a flea-flicker play to put the Lions ahead 24-13.

Goff was 3-for-3 for 46 yards in the Lions' final touchdown drive, which put Detroit back in front 34-30 with 1:54 left in the game.

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Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers by Raj Mehta, USA TODAY Sports

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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