Jared Goff Focused on Ending Cowboys Streak Against Lions

Can Goff lead Lions past Cowboys in Week 6?

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16). / Eamon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions remember what happened in the late stages of their Week 17 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys last season.

After driving down the field late to score a touchdown and come within one point of tying the Cowboys, Detroit elected to go for two and take the lead. The Lions appeared to indeed take the lead on a pass from Jared Goff to Taylor Decker, but the play was nullified by an illegal touching penalty on Decker.

It was determined by the officiating crew that it was Dan Skipper, not Decker, who reported as an eligible receiver. Replays of the play showed that Decker was the player indicating his eligibility as a receiver to the referees, and as a result the play was a mistake by the officials.

Goff has moved past the incident, but it is a natural talking point with the two teams set to square off in the same setting on Sunday. The veteran quarterback explained that he views the play as a mistake, not an intentional act to limit the Lions.

Instead, his focus is on beating the Cowboys to snap a losing streak against them, not to get vengeance for the mistake late in last year's game. Dallas has won the last six meetings between the teams, with Detroit's last triumph coming in 2013.

“Maybe a little bit. But it wasn’t like — I don’t want to dwell on something that was eight months ago or whatever. I don’t think we got screwed intentionally," Goff stated. "I think it was just a mistake the officials made. It happens, that stuff happens, and you move on. I don’t think we take it personally. I think it’s more on the lines of we haven’t beat these guys two years in a row. And that’s more on our heads. It’s time to try to stop that.” 

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Tigers keep winning

While the Lions have started off strong in 2024, the phenomenon sweeping Detroit currently is the postseason run of the Detroit Tigers. Led by manager A.J. Hinch, the Tigers dispatched of the Houston Astros in the Wild Card series and are tied 1-1 with the Cleveland Guardians in the Divisional Series.

Goff has been following along from afar, keeping tabs on the baseball team that has been one of the best in MLB since August 11.

“It’s fun. The fans are getting to experience what they should experience," Goff said. "Hopefully we’re giving them some fun Sundays and the Tigers keep winning games and it keeps on getting more fun.” 

Detroit will host its first home playoff game at Comerica Park since 2014 on Wednesday, in what is expected to be a raucous atmosphere. Goff cannot make the game, but shared a video of Tigers' slugger Kerry Carpenter's game-winning three-run home run on social media as a show of support.

“For sure. I wish I could go tomorrow but unfortunately I can’t make it," Goff explained. "But yeah, I was watching yesterday on TV and when that happened, I was pretty fired up.”