Jared Goff: Lions 'As Good As Record Says'
Jared Goff is presently playing the best football that he ever has as quarterback of the Detroit Lions.
Through the first four games of the 2022 season, he has thrown for a league-leading 11 touchdowns and the third-highest amount of yards (1,126). He's also tossed just three interceptions, and is averaging 281.5 passing yards a game.
He's on pace for a career-best season, and it's played a large part in the Lions scoring an NFL-high 35 points a game through four weeks.
Despite Goff's and the Lions' offense's prolific start to the campaign, though, Detroit sits at 1-3 and in sole possession of last place in the NFC North division.
In stark contrast, the team's defense has struggled to stop anyone so far this season, and is allowing a league-worst 35.3 points per game. Although that has been the case, there are many Lions fans that believe Dan Campbell's squad, through the first quarter of the campaign, should be better than a one-win team.
Goff, for one, isn't buying into that narrative, however.
"We are as good as your record says you are. So, maybe we’ve done some good things that reflect otherwise in some areas, but at the same time, it’s been three games not good enough, and one that was," Goff told reporters Wednesday. "So, hopefully, this one (against the Patriots), we can get things in order and be ready to go. But, I think to answer your question, there’s been enough positives and enough good things to make us feel encouraged and confident that that won’t be a trend for us.”
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Goff and the Lions are set to square off with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots Sunday.
For Goff, it means he'll be going up against the foe that beat him and his then employer, the Los Angeles Rams, in Super Bowl 53.
Belichick outcoached Rams head coach Sean McVay in the contest, and absolutely stymied Goff and Los Angeles' offense that day.
Goff completed just 19-of-38 passes for 229 yards, and finished with zero touchdown passes in his first and only Super Bowl appearance up to this point.
As a whole, McVay's high-flying offense produced a measly three points.
So, if anyone knows that it won't be easy going up against a Belichick-led team, it's Goff.
"Yeah, he’ll have something, man. He’s by all accounts the best, if not one of the best," Goff said. "And, I’ve had my experiences against him, and it’s always been a tough game. And, he’ll always have something for us. So, we’ll see what it is, but we’ll be ready.”
Campbell echoed high praise for the longtime Patriots head man, as well.
"He's arguably the best coach that’s ever coached this game," Campbell said Wednesday. "So, it’s hard to argue with anything he does."
Belichick will surely have something up his sleeve to stop Goff and the Lions' potent offensive attack. And, as Goff expressed Wednesday, expect the Patriots to exert their physicality (and early and often).
"Yeah, (they're) always physical, always physical and extremely sound," Goff said. "They’re going to challenge you at all levels upfront, second level, third level. They’re gap sound. They do a lot, and it’ll be a challenge.”
It'll be a challenge for Goff and his teammates simply facing Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion head coach.
However, don't expect Goff & Co. to devise a gameplan specifically geared toward the future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach.
"No, I don’t think so," Goff expressed, regarding the idea of creating a gameplan to face Belichick. "I think you prepare to face the team, and I know he’ll have a plan and he’s a great coach. But, he won’t be on the field. So, he’ll be calling it from the sideline or having his influence in some way or another, and he’ll have a good plan for us and we’ll have one for him.”
