Getty Jared Goff before a Lions game in 2021.
Jared Goff had a complicated first season wit the Detroit Lions. On one hand, Goff was replacing a powerful figure in Matthew Stafford and struggled early on to the deep frustration of the fanbase.
On the other, the quarterback enjoyed a sparkling finish to the season which provided a tantalizing reminder of his overall talent, and boosted the notion he could be the man for the job in Detroit long-term. Balancing those emotions has been complicated for Lions fans, especially as they have watched Stafford reach the Super Bowl in thrilling fashion over the past few weeks. It has left everyone with an unsettled feeling.
Is Goff the man for the job, and will he be that person consistently? That has become a hard question to answer.
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Goff is still entrenched as the team’s quarterback and figures to be into the future, meaning he’s still going to be in the mix in 2022. Perhaps there is a thought that he would be jealous watching Stafford and his former Los Angeles teammates on the cusp of a Super Bowl win, but the exact opposite is true
As Goff pointed out in a piece by Mike Silver at Bally’s Sports.com, he harbors no animosity toward anyone with the Rams, and is more focused on how he can get the Lions to the same level where Los Angeles currently is. As it sits right now, that is his primary motivation:
“I think the overwhelming feeling is how happy I am for those guys and them getting a chance to win it, and how many friends I have there — and coaches and staff, and all the way up to (owner Stan) Kroenke — them getting to experience it for a second time,” he said of the Rams. “But at the same time, the competitor in you, you want to do it personally. I’m focused on how can we get the Lions to a championship game, to the playoffs, to win the division? That’s what the majority of my focus is.
“We all run our own race, whatever that may be. It’s part of the journey and this year obviously was a tough experience, winning three games and all that, but it’s all part of the journey. My time will come, whenever that may be, to get another crack at it. In order to get there, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done. And that’s part of my job and my responsibility. My ultimate and entire focus now is on myself and how I can be better for my team this upcoming season. How can I be at my best consistently and be a part of building a winning culture in Detroit?
Many will believe that a winning culture in Detroit is an impossibility, but the first ingredient is having folks who believe and who are willing to walk the walk and talk the talk toward reaching that goal. Goff’s positive attitude is sending a message to Lions fans that better times could be on the horizon, because he is willing to put in the work.
The team needs plenty of roster improvements, but the time has almost come to start on that for the offseason. With the right players and right leadership, the team could make a turnaround.
That is precisely what Goff is working to see happen.
Goff Believes ‘Best Yet to Come’ for Lions
It’s clear the quarterback is taking a positive and businesslike approach with his team, and these quotes weren’t the only thing that proved it. Heading into the 2022 offseason, Goff made the kind of statement to his team that a committed quarterback would by posting a motivational statement on Instagram.
Just after the conclusion of the season, Goff posted a message on Instagram in which he expressed thankful feelings for the 2021 season, and also said that he believes those good times he referenced to Silver are coming for the Lions as well as their fans.
“Thankful for another season in the books and the lessons learned along the way. The best is yet to come for this group #313,” Goff wrote.
The Lions, who were winless at the midway point and looking hopeless, rebounded for a respectable finish to the year and managed to go 3-3 over the final six games in spite of having a team that was injury riddled as well as dealing with illness at the time.
As Goff seems to know, there is a lot of reasons to like where the Lions are heading in the future given this fact, and the improvements that are likely to come this offseason.
Goff’s Words, Play Hint at Longer-Term Future With Lions
It’s obvious listening to Goff’s words that he wants to be a part of the solution for the Lions moving forward. While the team could elect to draft a quarterback, it isn’t wise to think that they will pull the plug on Goff completely. General manager Brad Holmes recently opined that Goff knows what he must do to prepare for the 2022 season.
Good play will be one way for the quarterback to remain in the mix, and Goff managed to end the 2021 season strong on the field. Since Thanksgiving, Goff was on relative fire as statistics go. He threw 11 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions while going off for 1,136 passing yards. Goff has also claimed elusive awards for a Lions quarterback such as NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors as well as the FedEx Air Player of the Week award.
Perhaps the game that showed Lions fans the most potential of what Goff could do for the future was his impressive 3 touchdown performance against the Arizona Cardinals in December:
Goff seems to know that the Lions are capable of a turnaround, however skeptical fans and others in the media might be. There are no shortcuts to getting that done, however, so it will simply be on the team to make the right fixes and the quarterback to continue to have the right approach.
As this interview should prove to the fans, Goff is already on the right track as it relates to that.
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