Lions' Jared Goff Making Strong Case To Be League MVP
Another week and another win for the Detroit Lions.
The Lions are now 5-1 and tied for the best record not only in the NFC but the entire NFL. And Jared Goff deserves a significant amount of credit for the team's hot start.
Goff is the straw that stirs the drink for a Detroit offense that is averaging the fourth-most points per game through six weeks (28.0 points/game).
"We’ve played well through six weeks," Goff said after the Lions' 20-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday. "And, I think it’s hard to play well all year, that’s our goal. At some point, we’re going to hit some sort of adversity and have to fight through that. But, right now, we’re playing well. That’s four in a row for us. And, it’s a pretty good feeling. Yeah, it certainly is. And, we know who we are. And, I’ve said it a million times: We’ll go and compete with anyone right now. And, yeah, we’re in pretty good shape.”
On Sunday, the veteran signal-caller completed 68.2 percent of his passes, and threw for 353 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. It was good for a 107.5 passer rating and a 78.6 QBR.
With the sterling performance, the former No. 1 overall pick now has 17 career games with at least 350 passing yards, which is tied with former Pro Bowl passer Andrew Luck for fourth most over a player's first eight career NFL seasons. That mark trails only Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino and former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (18), plus two-time MVP and Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes (21).
Goff has certainly found a groove, and is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now. It made it an easy decision for Dan Campbell to entrust in the eighth-year pro to attempt a season-high 44 passes on Sunday.
"(Goff) was in a rhythm, in a groove, and really we just felt like that was the best way to move the football, was to put it in his hands," Campbell told reporters after the Week 6 win for Detroit in Tampa Bay. "Let's put it on him, and he did a great job. We needed him to step up, and he did step up."
With the victory, Detroit is now 13-3 in its last 16 games – the franchise's best 16-game stretch since the 1961-1962 seasons. The 29-year-old veteran has definitely played an integral role in the aforementioned stretch of games, too.
Over this period of time, Goff has played nearly peerless football. He's completed almost 67 percent of his passes (66.7 percent), while throwing for 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He's also thrown for over 4,000 yards (4,152).
The one-time "bridge" quarterback, as a throw-in for the Lions in the Stafford trade with the L.A. Rams, has transformed himself into one of the most desirable signal-callers in the National Football League. And, as Detroit has continued its winning ways from the second half of last year, Goff has arguably also put himself into the MVP conversation.
Through six games this season, the three-time Pro Bowl passer is one of only two NFL QBs that ranks in the top five for passing yards, completion percentage, touchdowns and passer rating. The other quarterback: Miami's Tua Tagovailoa.
For his efforts Sunday, Goff received a game ball from Campbell.
"This guy showed up today in a big way, and he really has for a long time with his f*****g arm. And, that's Jared Goff, man," Campbell said in the locker room after the game.
It's hard to argue with Campbell's message there. Goff has been a dependable, No. 1 passer for Detroit ever since it began its second-half turnaround a season ago. And, the numbers above back up that very statement.
But, when you more closely evaluate Goff's stats and the impact he has had on the Lions during their terrific start to the 2023 campaign, something else will become clear. It's the fact that he's become an MVP-caliber passer.
Goff is an invaluable leader, a steadying force in a chaotic game that regularly features drastic momentum swings.
Whenever Goff takes the field right now, it feels like the Lions have a realistic shot to win the game, no matter the opponent. And, that carries a heavy degree of significance, especially for a franchise like Detroit that has failed to garner much success in its history.
Through the first six weeks of the '23 season, it's more than fair to say that the veteran passer has made a plausible case to be in the conversation for the league's MVP award.
