Getty Jared Goff looks on during a preseason game against the Bills in 2021.
Ever since he was revealed to be heading to the Detroit Lions in a trade, the bag has been mixed as it relates to Jared Goff’s standing.
On one hand, many see the potential for Goff in a brand new location. On the other, plenty of folks seem to think that Goff will be doomed as it relates to his future with the Lions thanks to how much they perceive him regressing on the field in recent seasons.
The latest Lions news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lions newsletter here!
ESPN hosts recently admitted they weren’t big fans of Goff’s talent, and Bleacher Report believes he is heading for a tough first year in Detroit. The site put together a list of players and teams who would be set to flop during the 2021 season, and Goff cracked the list.
Writer Kristopher Knox clearly isn’t a fan of Goff’s talent, saying he wasn’t likely to be an above-average starter in 2021, and said he looked like a “game-manager at best” so far in the preseason. In terms of his weaponry, Knox believes that Goff will lack in Detroit as well given some sketchy wide receiver options as well as the lack of elite offensive coaching like he had in Sean McVay. All this adds up to him flopping in the mind of the analyst.
While Goff will have plenty to deal with, it’s clear folks might not like him at all when some of the analysis is concerned. Few people are willing to admit things could be better for Goff than expected with the Lions, so it’s now looking like a near-unanimous prediction of failure for him from the national media.
Jared Goff Has Talents to Prove Doubters Wrong
This analysis is interesting and notable because it gives Goff more fuel to push his drive for the 2021 season. Players and coaches on the Lions such as Mark Brunell have been open about what this season means to Goff, and it’s easy to see why the quarterback could have a major chip on his shoulder. In spite of all these lists, though, the metrics say that Goff is still a solid quarterback. Pro Football Focus has graded Goff no lower than a 70.0 in terms of offense any year since 2016. His highest grade of 84.3 came in 2018, while his lowest over that span was a 71.3 mark from an injury-riddled 2020. That points to some definite talent the quarterback still has to rely on, especially at 26 years old with plenty of time left in his career.
The Lions are getting a quarterback who was in the Super Bowl just two years ago. Goff, a former top pick himself in 2016 out of Cal, has been a dependable player who has won plenty of big games in his career in the rough and tumble NFC West. So far, he’s thrown 107 touchdowns, 55 interceptions, 18,171 yards and has been a two-time Pro Bowler in 2017 and 2018.
Here is some of his work:
Doubting Goff publicly like this could give him extra motivation to step up and prove himself. Folks forget that Goff was a top pick for a reason, and he hopes to show that in Detroit once again, perhaps in a locale where the pressure is off and he can rise to the occasion once more.
Goff, Matthew Stafford Trending in Two Separate Directions
Since the big trade this past offseason, it’s been clear in the eyes of the media who the darling is. Stafford has had glowing praise nearly since the start of the offseason, and has been told he is set to win a Super Bowl and do big things by plenty in the national media. Goff, meanwhile, has been told things just like this about all his limitations and future failures. It’s an interesting dichotomy considering statistically, Goff is the quarterback who has done far more with his career to this point than Stafford has.
Goff can add yet another diss to the pile in terms of motivation for the 2021 season.
READ NEXT: Pair of Lions Vets Named Cut Candidates