Jared Goff: 'I Don't Have to Play Perfect' with Good Defense

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff was bailed out by team's defense in Week 9 win against Green Bay Packers.

Since joining the Lions a season ago, quarterback Jared Goff has not often had the luxury of having his play be complemented by a solid effort from Detroit's defense.

In fact, the Lions allowed 27.5 points per game last season -- ranking 31st in the league -- and have allowed a league-worst 29.3 points a game so far this year.

Subsequently, in his 22-game tenure as Detroit's starting signal-caller, Goff has more often than not had to bail out a poor performance by defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn's unit.

However, in a highly welcomed change of pace Sunday, the Lions' defense delivered a solid performance. It forced three interceptions from Green Bay Packers All-Pro passer Aaron Rodgers, and limited the Packers to nine total points.

Meanwhile, in the Week 9 tilt, Goff had one of his worst games of the 2022 campaign. He completed a season-low 53.85 percent of his passes, threw an interception and finished with a season-worst 137 yards and 5.27 yards per pass attempt.  

Sunday was the rare instance in which Glenn's defense made up for a lackluster effort from Goff. 

"Yeah, it was huge. It was really big. I think especially after I had the turnover, them getting one (an interception of Rodgers) immediately. That’s huge. I’ve certainly got a lot of things to clean up. But, when I feel like I don’t have to play perfect, and I can make a mistake, and the defense can have my back as we do have theirs, that makes things a whole lot smoother, and a whole lot easier for us to overcome," Goff expressed, regarding his confidence in the defense's ability to make up for a mistake from the offense. "So, it’s big. It’s really big when they can cause turnovers, like they were last week and be around the ball, (cause) sacks, negative plays for their offense, penalties, whatever it may be. It was really big.”

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Prior to the aforementioned Week 9 contest, Detroit had allowed no fewer than 24 points in a single game, and was permitting 32.1 points a game. It also had allowed 31 points in its previous game, a Week 8 loss to Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins.

Going into the Lions' Week 10 matchup with the Chicago Bears, Goff hopes that his defensive counterparts continue to come up with timely turnovers.

“You know, I think it’s just trying to understand when those moments are," Goff said about Detroit's offense and defense working in unison. "For example, I throw the interception, they know, ‘Okay, here’s our chance to kind of stymie this and make that play.’ And then on the flip side, ‘Hey, they get an interception. Hey boys, like this is our chance. Points off turnover, we talk about a lot, like this is our chance to kind of make an impact in the game and make this turnover matter.' And so, just being cognizant of it, and aware of when those moments are.”

Speaking of the Bears (3-6), they're tied with the Packers for second place in the NFC North, and sit just a half game above the Lions in the standings. Chicago has lost two in a row, and is coming off a 35-32 defeat at the hands of the Dolphins. 

Goff expects the Week 10 divisional tilt with the Bears to be "a fight." 

"Yeah, we both kind of have our backs against the wall a little bit, so there will be that fight and that fight to the bitter end. And, you have to be prepared for that," Goff said. "There are some teams that you don’t get that with, but we’re both kind of in the mix of this adversity, trying to pull our ways out of it. It’s going to be a fight. It’ll be a good one, and we’ll be ready."