Jared Goff Has Message for Worried Lions Fans
The Detroit Lions have lost two of their last three games, leading some to question the legitimacy of this team as playoff contenders.
Dan Campbell's team is in a good spot, leading the NFC North division by two games with four to play. With the postseason in sight, there are questions about whether or not the Lions can make a run in the playoffs after recent struggles.
With this concern in mind, quarterback Jared Goff issued a message in an effort to calm the fanbase ahead of Saturday's game against the Denver Broncos.
"Well, we lost two of three for the first time in about 20 games. So, yeah, we're gonna be just fine, we're 9-4," Goff told 97.1 The Ticket Tuesday. "We've got a good stretch in front of us, but it starts this week with the Broncos. We're excited to get back in front of the home fans. We expect them to bring a lot of energy and passion for us this weekend. It'll be a lot of fun, man. It'll be fun to get back in front of them, and hopefully get back in the win column."
The Lions, under Campbell, have been traditionally good at bouncing back from losses since last season's hot stretch. Campbell has instilled a culture of resiliency, which has trickled down to the quarterback.
Goff's veteran presence has served as a calming factor. He explained his approach to losses and wins, and emphasized the importance of treating both outcomes the same, in an effort to not let one game weigh too much in a season.
"You treat 'em all the same, wins and losses. We've been fortunate enough to win nine out of 13 at this point, so been able to learn from wins a little more often than losses," Goff said. "But, you treat them the same, you learn from them and you get better. It's a long season, it's a 17-game season and each game counts the same. So, if you put more weight on one than the other, you beat yourself twice at times. You need to treat them all the same, you learn from it, you get better and you improve. At the end of the season, you count them all up and see who continues to go."
Getting St. Brown back on track
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has been the Lions' top option throughout the season, leading the unit in a number of categories.
He has already surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the second consecutive season, and is tracking towards a career year. However, in his last two games, he has just five catches for 70 yards total.
This became magnified against the Bears, when he recorded a season-low 21 yards on three receptions, despite being targeted nine times. With his talent fully known, opponents are devoting more attention to him, in an effort to shutter the Lions' passing game.
Moving forward, Goff is committed to continuing to find ways to involve the talented third-year pass-catcher.
"Yeah, you'd love to get him going. I think he's doing a great job. He's been very accountable of things that he feels like he can do better and then for me, as well," Goff explained. "I'm very much talking to him about the ways that I want to try to do better for him, get him the ball in certain ways a little bit better than we have in the last couple weeks. He's one of the best guys I've ever been around, have no doubts that he's gonna be just fine and finish this season off pretty well."
Third-quarter struggles
The Lions have become notorious for struggling out of halftime. Against the Bears, the team recorded just 21 net yards in the third quarter, and punted three times.
As a result, the Bears were able to score nine unanswered, plus take the lead heading into the fourth quarter. Chicago would hold Detroit scoreless for the entire second half and emerge victorious.
Goff and the rest of the offense are aware of the issues. While pinpointing a specific issue has been a struggle, the unit knows it must be better in this area to have sustained success throughout the remainder of the season.
"I wish. Yeah, it's frustrating. As much as it is for everyone else, it is for us. It's very frustrating for us," Goff stated. "We're very aware of it, and we know we have to continue to be aware of it and find ways to be more productive in the third quarter. It's everybody, and I wish there was one thing we could point to as the reason why or one thing that fixes it, but there isn't. It's plain execution, it's plain focus. It's plain doing our jobs a little more consistently."
