Cal Sports Report

Jared Goff Leads Lions to First Division Title in 30 Years

Former Cal quarterback helps Detroit get past Vikings and clinch home field in the playoffs

Jake Curtis

Jared Goff Leads Lions to First Division Title in 30 Years
Jared Goff Leads Lions to First Division Title in 30 Years /

One year before Jared Goff was born, the Detroit Lions won a division title.  They hadn't won one since -- until Sunday.

Former Cal quarterback Goff had a solid performance and the Lions hung on at the end for a 30-24 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis on Sunday, and that victory clinched the NFC North title for the Lions.

It is the Lions first division title since 1993, when Barry Sanders was Detroit's star and Wayne Fontes was the Lions head coach.  Erik Kramer, Rodney Peete and Andre Ware all started games at quarterback for the Lions that year.

Detroit has had only one starting quarterback this season -- Goff.

"He's been the key, has been the catalyst, for turning this team around," Fox analyst and former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson said of Goff after the Lions' win.

The Lions went 3-13-1 in Goff's first season in Detroit, and they started last season 1-6 before winning eight of their final 10 games and barely missing the playoffs. They are 11-4 this season, giving them a 19-6 record over the past 25 games.

More importantly, the Lions will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and have that first division title since 1993.  They also will play a playoff game at home for the first time since 1993. The Lions lost to the Packers 28-24 in that first-round game on Detroit's home field 30 years ago, and Detroit will be shooting for its first postseason victory since 1991 when the playoffs begin.

Detroit is still in the hunt for the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC and the first-round bye that goes with it.

"It's cool. It really is cool," Goff said. "Being able to really reflect on it like we did something that [hadn't been done by] team after team after team for 30 years. This 2023 team did it and broke that streak and we will guarantee a home playoff game. But, yeah, we've got some work to do next week and the following and see where we go."

Goff had a solid game Sunday, although it wasn't as spectacular as his performance the previous week when he threw five touchdown passes.  He threw just one TD pass against the Vikings, but that touchdown in the third quarter put the Lions ahead to stay 23-21.

Goff finished 30-for-40 for 257 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions and a 99.7 passer rating.

Goff is not the favorite to win the NFL MVP award, but he should at least get some votes. He entered this weekend third in the league in passing yards, third in touchdown passes and fifth in passer rating. And the part he played in the Lions' remarkable rise cannot be overlooked.

No less an expert than Jimmy Johnson said Goff was the key to the Lions' turnaround.

NOTE: Former Cal defensive back Camryn Bynum had a big game for the Vikings, recording eight tackles and forcing a fumble in the first half.

Cover photo of Jared Goff by Jeffrey Becker, 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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