Lions' 2022 Review: Jared Goff Proves Doubters Wrong

Jared Goff cemented his status as the Detroit Lions’ starting quarterback during the 2022 season.

Jared Goff cemented himself as the Detroit Lions’ starting quarterback heading into 2023 with a superb performance over the second half of the 2022 campaign.

After dealing with ups and downs through the team’s 1-6 start to the year, Goff righted the ship, and was a catalyst in Detroit’s 8-2 finish to the season. Over that stretch, he threw just one interception, including nine straight games without a pick to end the season.

The performance put to rest questions about whether the team would need a new starter heading into next season. He was so good in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s offense that it’s worth pondering whether he could indeed be the long-term answer under center.

“He stayed the course,” said Detroit general manager Brad Holmes during his season-ending press conference. “Knowing what he’s made of, that’s why I just kept faith, I kept confidence. I respect the hell out of him, because I told him, ‘We’ll hold up our end of the bargain.’ We were being held accountable, we’ve got to put you in the right situation, with the right pieces around you, stability on offense. And, I felt like we did that, and he held up his end of the bargain. I just think it worked out. I didn’t have any doubt or waver, I never really deemed him as a bridge. I think everybody else did, but I think it’s a little bit of the recency bias from what he had to deal with last year.”

Here is a primer for the Lions at the quarterback position heading into the offseason. 

Reason for hope

Goff was indeed excellent over the final 10 games, but there’s evidence that he was good all season for Detroit. He and Johnson worked in lockstep in piloting Detroit’s offense to heights it hadn’t reached in quite some time.

Behind Goff, the Lions finished fifth in the league in points and fourth in yards. This marked the best statistical finish for Detroit offensively since the 2011 season, when it finished fourth in points and fifth in yards.

The seventh-year signal-caller threw for 4,438 yards, good for fifth in Lions history for single-season passing yards. Former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford holds the top four spots in the team’s hierarchy.

More: Lions Mock Draft Roundup

Goff’s 29 touchdown passes ranks tied for fourth in a single season. He also demonstrated good awareness, limiting himself to just one turnover -- a fumbled snap -- over the season’s final nine games.

Goff also performed well among advanced metrics. According to Pro Football Focus, he finished with an adjusted completion percentage of 77.8 percent, which ranked tied for fifth in the league with Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. 

Detroit's signal-caller was at his best out of the team’s play-action concepts. PFF assigned him a 90.5 grade working out of that specific concept, which ranked second in the league, behind only Mahomes, among quarterbacks who took enough snaps to qualify.

His chemistry with receivers such as Amon-Ra St. Brown, who surpassed 100 catches and 1,000 receiving yards, is reason enough to be excited about the near future. Additionally, Johnson elected to return rather than take a head coaching job elsewhere.

Goff and Johnson made plenty of magic in 2022, creating one of the league’s top offenses. That alone is reason to believe that Detroit could take its efforts to a new level in 2023.

© Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Reason for worry

While Goff excelled, his metrics ranked near the bottom-half of the league. His 71.6 passing grade and 72.4 overall offensive grade both ranked 22nd among all quarterbacks.

Though he managed his turnovers well late, there were issues early in the season. He had interceptions returned for touchdowns against Philadelphia and Seattle, and surrendered a fumble that turned into a score against New England.

In all, he threw seven interceptions, and lost four fumbles.

There’s also the case of who will be backing him up in 2023. The last two years have seen the Lions scrambling in terms of a contingency plan. The 2021 season saw Tim Boyle thrust into action for three starts, during which he struggled.

The Lions weren’t pleased enough with Boyle or David Blough’s performance in the preseason to keep either around post cut day, as they added Nate Sudfeld prior to the start of the regular season.

Sudfeld wasn’t asked to do much, appearing in only two games over the course of the season. He dropped to pass just once, and was sacked.

With Goff locked in as the top option, Detroit will have to cement a backup option in case of emergency.

Biggest question

Do the Lions draft a quarterback? Holmes has openly said he wants to address the backup spot, but wouldn’t tip his hand as to how.

If Holmes and company feel committed to Goff for the long haul, then filling the need through free agency makes sense. However, Holmes didn’t dispute the idea of taking a young signal-caller in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, when asked about such during his recent press conference.

“I think it’s a lot easier to get worse at quarterback than it is to get better at quarterback in this league,” Holmes said. “I think what Jared has done this year, he captained the ship of a top-three offense, and I want to say he was top-10 statistically in most of the passing categories. We have to watch the draft, because we’re never going to turn down a good football player. So, if there’s a football player we really love, we’re gonna make sure no stone is unturned. But, I do think Jared has proven to everybody that he is the starting quarterback for us.”

There are intriguing options available in this year’s draft class. It’s unlikely that either Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud fall to Detroit’s first selection at No. 6 overall. However, a player like Florida’s Anthony Richardson, who has tantalizing upside despite needing improvements, could be in the cards at No. 18 overall, where the Lions’ second first-rounder lies.

Even if Detroit elects to pass in the first round, a player such as Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker could be a target in the middle rounds.

There’s merit with the idea of sitting a rookie behind a veteran, none more obvious than Mahomes beginning his career backing up Alex Smith.

With this in mind, it wouldn’t come as a shock if the Lions add to the quarterbacks room, while remaining steadfast in their commitment to Goff.

Free agents

• QB Nate Sudfeld