For a long time in Week 11, it looked like the Detroit Lions’ 3-game winning streak against the Chicago Bears was going to end. The Lions trailed by 12 points with under five minutes left in regulation, and at that point, Detroit quarterback Jared Goff had thrown 3 interceptions.
But Goff wasn’t going to give up just because of his bad first 55 minutes. He orchestrated two touchdowns drives in the final few minutes to lead the Lions to an improbable 31-26 comeback victory.
However improbable it may have been, Lions head coach Dan Campbell didn’t seem too surprised by what he saw from his quarterback late in the game.
Campbell told reporters during his postgame press conference that Goff is truly at his best when it matters most.
“Here’s what we know about Goff, at the very least, he’s going to be mentally tough and physically tough,” Campbell told the media. “You can always count on that. You can bank on that.
“Today, he showed his resiliency. When we needed those plays, man, he showed up in no-huddle mode. It was awesome.”
After throwing 3 interceptions, Goff completed 10 of 12 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter.
QB Jared Goff Leads Lions to Comebacks Against Bears
Campbell stressed to the media following the team’s bye week in early November that the Lions are looking to play a complete game.
That certainly didn’t happen against the Bears. The Lions committed four turnovers and allowed the Bears to control the ball for more than 40 minutes in time of possession.
More than halfway through the fourth quarter, the Lions only had 190 yards of offense.
But Goff told the media that the fact the Lions won while not playing their best is a sign that they are a good team.
“It’s a lot easier to play bad and win than it is to play bad and lose. That’s kind of what we did today,” Goff told reporters. “We played not our best ball. Not my best ball for about three and a half quarters and found a way to make it work at the end.
“We’re a resilient group. We’re tough. We have a lot of courage, and we don’t back down from anything.”
Goff threw multiple interceptions for the first time since the loss against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7 last year. It was also Goff’s first 3-interception game since 2019 when he was quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams.
But more importantly, Goff recorded his third game-winning drive and second fourth-quarter comeback of the season. He had three of each as a Pro Bowler in 2022.
Goff finished the afternoon 23 for 35 with 236 passing yards and 2 touchdowns to go with 3 interceptions.
Lions Win to Improve to 8-2 For First Time in Super Bowl Era
With the Week 11 victory, the Lions improved to 9-1 in their last 10 games against NFC North teams. They have also won four straight against the Bears for the first time since 2013-17.
But the victory meant even more history for Detroit. With their 8-2 start, the Lions are off to their best start this season since they were also 8-2 in 1962.
“That’s a long time,” Campbell said in response to that history. “Look, it’s something we talked about before the season. Not, ‘hey, it’s get as many wins as from the 1962 season.’ But just, man, let’s make the most of this season. We’ve got a chance to do something special, and let’s take it one week at a time.”
The Lions will face another division opponent in Week 12 at home in the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving.
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Lions’ Dan Campbell Sounds Off on QB Jared Goff’s Comeback