Jared Goff: Earning Game Ball Carries 'Pretty Significant Weight'

Jared Goff is playing the best football of his NFL career.

A big part of the reason the Detroit Lions have started the 2023 season with a 5-1 record has been the play of quarterback Jared Goff. 

Working with Ben Johnson for a second season has provided the veteran signal-caller comfort and added confidence, as he is seeing the field much better and executing at a high level. 

After defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dan Campbell handed out two game balls. One was to punter Jack Fox and the other went to the 29-year-old signal-caller. 

“It means a lot. He doesn’t do game balls that often, so when he does, it carries pretty significant weight," Goff told 97.1 The Ticket during his weekly radio interview. "Yeah, it means a lot. I’ve been trying to do my best for our team, trying to get wins. 

"For him to recognize that is great, but it’s always the result of a team effort. It really always is. The defense was giving us short fields, getting off the field quickly, putting us back on the field," Goff explained further. "Thought the O-line protected really well against a really good defense. A really complicated defense that was bringing a lot of blitzes. I just made some throws, it felt good all day. It feels good when Dan does that. It's always a team thing whenever game balls are given out. It only happens after wins, you know?”

Detroit's third-year head coach has been quite complimentary of his quarterback, noting the veteran is continuing to grow at the position.

"I can’t really speak high enough of Jared Goff. He’s evolving, he’s been evolving, he’s developing, he’s growing," said Campbell. "For a guy who’s played a lot of football to what you feel like is a player continuing to grow, that’s encouraging, and that’s a credit to him. I think he’s seeing the field better than he’s ever seen it. He’s got a really good grasp of the game plan. 

"Of course, we’re in year two, he and Ben. I just think we’re in a real good groove. The guy is mentally tough, he’s physically tough, and man, when we need him, he’s showing up," Campbell commented further. "The turnovers were the one little bugaboo earlier in the year, a couple of picks early in the year. Interceptions are one thing, it’s when the interceptions are for touchdowns, that makes it feel that much worse, right? But, he knows, and that’s something he puts a lot of pride in. He wanted to improve it, like we all do. And, look, he’s doing a good job right now. He’s certainly a key cog in the success we’re having.”

Lions' Jared Goff Making Strong Case To Be League MVP

Inside the touchdown to Jameson Williams 

The growing connection with second-year wideout Jameson Williams has the potential to drastically impact the offense. Explosive plays can open up the defense, making it easier for Detroit's offense to operate in the run game and in the intermediate passing game.

Goff shared what he saw on the deep 45-yard touchdown pass that propelled Detroit to its fifth victory in its first six games.  

“It means a lot. We want to get the ball in his hands as much as possible, with how explosive he is," said Goff. "We ran kind of a quick-snap concept, where we walked up and snapped it. On defense, they do a lot of disguise there in Tampa, and they wanted to disguise their single-high safety down in the box, kind of caught him off guard and ran right by him. Jameson ran a great route, Jameson made a helluva catch on it. It wasn’t my best throw of the day, but he made a great catch spinning around there. Sometimes that happens, those guys make plays, too. It’s a lot of fun when guys like him can get open and you can get him the ball.”