Three Passing Metrics QB Jared Goff Must Improve
In this story:
Many NFL pundits are expecting the Detroit Lions to perform better this upcoming season.
Following a 2021 season that saw the team only walk away with victories on three occasions, increased expectations have started to permeate the fanbase after a successful 2022 NFL Draft.
Among the keys to the success of the team is the play of quarterback Jared Goff.
In a recent NFL roster ranking, ESPN pointed to Goff's struggles slinging the football deep as a potential weakness of the Lions' offense in 2022.
"There's reason to be excited about the direction that this Detroit roster is trending, but the hole at quarterback makes it difficult to set expectations too high," writer Ben Linsey explains.
Here are three metrics that must improve for the Lions veteran signal-caller.
© Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK
6.8
In 2020 with the Los Angeles Rams and 2021 with the Lions, Goff's passes traveled fewer than 7 yards downfield on average. He averaged 6.8 yards over the course of the past two seasons.
8.8
The 27-year old's 8.8 yards per attempt on throws 20 or more yards downfield ranks in the bottom-five mark among 31 quarterbacks with at least 50 attempts, per ESPN.
39.5
Goff's 3,245 passing yards ranked 20th among the league's passing leaders his inaugural season in Motown. He also ranked 20th in touchdown passes, with 19. But, his 39.5 QBR was his lowest since his first season in the NFL.
Linsey writes, "There's not going to be much of an explosive, downfield element to this passing attack with Goff at quarterback unless he gets back to 2018 form."
