Surprisingly Former Cal QBs Aaron Rodgers, Jared Goff May Face Off Again Sunday

Packers' Rodgers plans to play in regular-season finale, and Lions' Goff may be ready to go after missing two weeks

The fourth installment of the Jared Goff-Aaron Rodgers matchup of former Cal quarterbacks may take place on Sunday, and that comes as a surprise because there are good reasons neither of them should play in that game.

We don't know for sure whether either will play in Sunday's Lions-Packers game in Detroit, and that is playing havoc with the point spread. The Packers began the week as 11-point favorites, according to Vegas Insider. But the subsequent assumption that Rodgers would not play in that game caused the point spread dropped sharply to 2.5 points. That's where it stands Tuesday, but with Rodgers suggesting on Monday he will play Sunday, that spread could change again. Even if Rodgers does play, he is unlikely to play the entire game, which would affect the spread too.

Let's take a look at what's going on with Packers quarterback Rodgers and Lions quarterback Goff.

We will start with Rodgers.  Green Bay clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC with Sunday's victory over the Vikings, so there is absolutely no reason for Rodgers to play in the regular-season finale against Detroit.  It was assumed he would sit out the game to avoid the possibility of injury and let his broken left pinkie toe heal. There is also the chance that a horrible performance by Rodgers could affect his MVP chances.  He seems like a lock to win the award for a fourth time, and playing another game could only hurt his chances.

Rodgers doesn't care about about the possibility of harming his MVP chances, but he should care about the possibility of injury.  It was just assumed he would sit out the game against the Lions so he could stay healthy and give his toe more time to heal. He wouldn't have to play until Jan. 22 or 23.

But after Sunday's game he said he planned to play against the Lions.

"This is the first game that my toe got through the game without any issues, no pregame painkiller shot, so I'm feeling good," Rodgers told reporters after Sunday's game. "I'm happy about it. There was definitely a time a few weeks ago when we started to project and think if we could get the one seed, it could be two-plus weeks of rest, but I'm going to play next week and I expect Davante [Adams] to play and our guys to play, so we're looking forward to finishing off the season on a high note and then getting the bye."

Packers coach Matt LaFleur seems to be OK with the idea of Rodgers playing Sunday, because he indicated on Monday that Rodgers and Adams are likely to be on the field against the Lions.

“I’m sure if you asked a hundred different people,” LaFleur said, according to PackersNews.com. “they’d give you a hundred different answers on what we should do. Right now, the mindset is going into this, that we’re going to play our guys and we’re going to approach it like every other game. I just think the reason behind that is I’m not comfortable having essentially a three-week layoff for our guys. And I know you can look at it a million different ways, and there’s never a right answer unless it works out.

“If somebody goes in there and gets injured, then, ‘Well, why’d you play your guys?’ But if you go out there in that first playoff game and lay an egg, ‘Well, why’d you rest your guys?’ So, like, there’s not a right answer. Bottom line is whatever we do, we’ve got to go out and perform, and we know that. That’s just the way we’re going to go about it.” 

Rodgers seems to have nearly clinched the MVP award, but if he has a stinker like he did in the season opener and the Packers lose while Tom Brady of the Buccaneers and/or Joe Burrow of the Bengals has a sensational game, the MVP debate may heat up. The Buccaneers could still tie Green Bay for the best record in the NFL, and the Bengals are still in contention to grab the No. 1 seed in the AFC, although a lot of things would have to happen in Cincinnati's favor this weekend for the Bengals to get that bye.

Here is Rodgers' Sunday press conference, with his comments about playing next week starting about 1:30 into the video:

Rodgers talked about his decision to play in Sunday's game during Tuesday's Pat McAfee Show.

"The plan is to play," Rodgers said. "I feel there's something to momentum, and we want to keep that."

He provided an example of a situation where sitting out did not work out well. Rodgers left open the possibility he would not play the entire game Sunday.

Here is Tuesday's Pat McAfee Show, with Rodgers' comments about his desire to play this week starting two hours and 21 minutes into the video:

Meanwhile, in Detroit, former Golden Bears star Goff has missed the past two games -- the first because he was on the COVID/reserve and the second because of a left knee injury.

However, he said on Tuesday he had a "good" workout testing his knee Tuesday morning and hopes to be on the field on Sunday against the Packers.

"Last week was leaning a little bit the other way from 50-50, and as the week went on just didn’t really progress fast enough," Goff said in his weekly Tuesday interview on WXYT-FM (97.10), according to the Detroit Free Press. "Was hopeful, but this week is a little bit more hopeful, but we’ll see.

"They told me this morning I’ve got to be able to prove I can protect myself and prove that I can compete [in order to play]. So during the week I plan to do that and if I can, great. If I can’t, it’ll be pretty disappointing but hope to be out there."

Lions coach Dan Campbell seems to be leaning toward starting Tim Boyle for the third straight week, but things could change if Goff shows he's capable.

Goff has not played since the Lions' Week 15 win over the Arizona Cardinals, when he hurt his knee just before halftime but finished the game. He had his best performance of the season in that game, completing 21-of-26 passes with three touchdowns, no interceptions and a season-best 139.7 passer rating.

Goff would like to play to demonstrate he can be the Lions' long-term answer at quarterback.  But he could also re-injure his knee, which is a distinct possibility for Goff, who is not particularly mobile and susceptible to sacks even when he's completely healthy.

There is another reason the Lions may not want their best quarterback on the field against the Packers. A loss to Green Bay would keep the Lions in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14) now own the first pick, but if they should beat the Colts on Sunday and the Lions (2-13-1) lose to the Packers, the Lions would have the top pick.  A Lions win on Sunday would automatically give Jacksonville the No. 1 selection.

So there will be some Detroit fans rooting for a Jaguars win and Lions loss on Sunday. Of course, if Rodgers plays on Sunday, the Lions could start anyone at quarterback and still have a good chance of losing.

If Goff and Rodgers both play on Sunday, it would be the fourth time the two former Cal standouts have faced off against each other in the NFL. Rodgers leads that series 2-1 and has won the past two confrontations with Goff's team.

Goff's only win came in in the 2018 season when he was with the Rams and they beat the Packers and Rodgers 29-27.

The second matchup came in last year's postseason, when the Packers posted a 32-18 victory over Goff's Rams.

They met earlier this season when the Packers defeated the Lions 35-17 back on Sept. 12. Goff had a pretty good game, completing 26-of-36 passes for 246 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a 97.7 passer rating. Rodgers was even better, completing 22-of-27 passes for 255 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions and a 145.6 passer rating, his second-best passer rating of the season.

We'll probably get a better idea later in the week about whether there will be a fourth Goff-Rodgers matchup in the final weekend of the regular season.

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Cover photo of Jared Goff is by Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports

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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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