Jared Goff Developed 'Bad Habit' Past Two Weeks

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is working to address issues with turnovers and pocket awareness.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has developed a bad habit over the past couple of weeks that has impacted his play. 

To start the season, Detroit's offense executed at a high level, becoming the highest scoring offense after the first month of the season. 

Against the New England Patriots, the offense was shutout and the results against the Dallas Cowboys were not that much better, as the team scored only six points. 

Head coach Dan Campbell indicated the coaching staff needed to "refocus" Goff on his pocket awareness, as he tended to drift back in the pocket, in the face of increased pressure from the Cowboys' defense. 

"I think we’ve got to refocus him on awareness in the pocket a little bit. Just continue to hammer it home," said Campbell. "Sometimes, it’s just, and it’s not just him, there’s quarterbacks that will begin to drift a little bit where they feel certain things. You start moving, and you don’t realize you may be moving deeper than you need to or you’re moving into something else. 

"And I really do, we just have to continue to stress it, coach it, show it because he understands. He responds to it. He sees it. He knows it. And there again, we just have to get him in a rhythm," Campbell continued. "It doesn’t matter what quarterback you are, you don’t want to be put when you’re facing a team that’s got very good rushers like what we just saw, you don’t want it to be where you’re one dimensional. And their rear’s this high in the air, and they’re in a track stance. That’s tough. That’s tough on any quarterback, but it certainly, it makes it difficult. We’ll keep emphasizing it. Play with rhythm, stay in the pocket and make the throws. He sees it. He’s aware of it.”

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Goff indicated there were two plays in particular in which he hung in the pocket for far too long, where stepping up would have allowed the play to extend to find open receivers. 

“It’s just stepping up a little bit. I think in the last -- again, like for most of the season I’ve done a good job with it, developed maybe a bad habit in the New England game," Goff explained. "And just sliding back a little bit and just need to step up and help those guys out. Be up in the pocket a little bit more. Those tackle jobs are hard enough. When I get too deep, we have a yard mark and when I’m past that it’s on me. So, just make sure I’m within that and just do my job that way.”

Other improvements that would aid the offense would be protecting the football and not turning it over. 

For the veteran signal-caller, the uptick in turnovers has given him nine on the season, which ranks as the third-most in the NFL. 

Goff had four turnovers against Dallas Cowboys, including two interceptions and two fumbles. 

"You always look at it," Goff said. "Every week you look at it, what can you do better? And for the most part this year -- I had a tough game last week in that regard. But for the most part, I’ve been taking care of the ball and just need to put an emphasis on it and just be a little bit more focused on it and take care of it.”