Who Has More Pressure to Succeed: Matthew Stafford or Jared Goff?
Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford each find themselves in new homes going into the 2021 season.
The two former No. 1 overall picks -- Goff with the Rams in 2016 and Stafford with the Lions in 2009 -- were traded for each other earlier this offseason, as part of Brad Holmes' first big move as Detroit general manager.
And, they each have something to prove with their new organizations.
Goff is tasked with proving that he's a legit franchise passer, after two straight subpar seasons in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Stafford will have to prove that he not only can get the Rams to the playoffs, but also that he can win in the postseason and do what Goff was unable to do: Win a Super Bowl.
Remember, Stafford never even won a playoff game during his 12 seasons in the Motor City.
Yet, Sean McVay and the Rams dealt for Stafford because they believe that he -- not Goff -- can get them over the hump and enable the franchise to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at season's end.
So, for Stafford, he's dealing with the most pressure he ever has in his NFL career. And, in my opinion, it's much more pressure than what Goff is experiencing and will endure in Motown.
Junfu Han, Imagn Content Services, LLC
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Sure, Goff has some pressure on him to prove that he can be the type of signal-caller that can elevate a lesser team like the Lions to a higher level of play and success.
However, it's also true that Detroit is coming off just a five-win campaign and isn't expected to come anywhere close to a postseason appearance this upcoming season.
For the Lions, losing less than 10 games would be defined as a successful season. Meanwhile, for the Rams, it's championship or bust.
Detroit subsequently has much less riding on the 2021 season than Los Angeles does. And so does Goff than Stafford.
So, when comparing the two, it's clear-cut who has more pressure on their shoulders: It's No. 9, Matthew Stafford.
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