Getty Jared Goff reacts during a Lions game against Green Bay in 2023.
The Detroit Lions just put the finishing touches on a solid bounce-back season, and one of the biggest reasons that was the case was the play of Jared Goff.
Goff led the Lions confidently all season long while helping the team to wins and impressive statistics, and as a result, he was one of the top quarterbacks in the league statistically and otherwise for 2022.
Unfortunately for Goff, he plays in Detroit now, which means he can be subject to some league disrespect. That was proven to be the case once again in a piece at Pro Football Network ranking the quarterbacks in the league.
Writer Arif Hasan power ranked all the quarterbacks in the league, and Goff placed 22nd overall. He was stunningly behind names like Jacoby Brissett, Justin Fields, Ryan Tannehill and Brock Purdy, who didn’t even play a complete season in the league.
Hasan wrote that Goff has some drawbacks to his game where if he could clean them up, he may be able to achieve a higher ranking overall.
“Like (Brock) Purdy and (Jimmy) Garoppolo, Goff takes advantage of an excellent supporting cast to help produce on offense. He doesn’t process as quickly as the other two, and his accuracy is not quite up to their standards, but he does have a good arm and an understanding of what he needs to do. If he could create off-book as well as Purdy or some of the other quarterbacks on this list, he’d be ranked much higher,” Hasan wrote in the piece.
Goff may have some limitations, but he also plays at a very high level, and has managed to do things that other players ahead of him on the list haven’t done in the league such as go to a Super Bowl, win a playoff game and make a Pro Bowl. To see him that low after the season he had is very surprising.
Goff will of course have his chance in the future to bust some of the myths about his game, providing he can keep the Lions successful. 2022 was supposed to be a good step with regards to that, but it’s clear that Goff could still have a ways to go before he changes everyone’s mind.
Jason Cabinda Surprised With Goff Disrespect
Goff continues to be disrespected throughout ranking lists, no matter whether they are from online publications or unofficial lists on Twitter.
Recently, Lions fullback Jason Cabinda was browsing Twitter, and he came across a ranking list of quarterbacks. As usual, Goff was disrespected. That was something that didn’t sit well with Cabinda at all.
As he exclaimed, he was surprised to see Goff nowhere near the top 10 list for his play this past season.
“No Jared Goff??????????!!!!!!!!,” Cabinda tweeted regarding the list.
Goff beat three of the top 10 quarterbacks on that list, defeating Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Trevor Lawrence in head-to-head matchups. Another quarterback on that list, Lamar Jackson, was hurt much of the second half of the season.
Arguably, Goff should have been somewhere on the list for his play, but like other rankings, he was buried. Leave Cabinda to call that out in the best possible way.
Goff Enjoyed Elite Play in 2022
No matter whether he makes these lists or not, the Lions have no reason to be disappointed with their quarterback statistically and otherwise.
This past year, Goff put up a very solid 29 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Goff has thrown for a quality 4,438 yards with a decent 99.3 QBR. Goff was a quality game manager for the Lions. He avoided the big mistakes for the most part, and been a player who has looked very comfortable within the team’s offense.
Unfortunately for Goff, the quarterback isn’t flashy, nor is he hyped by the media as one of the best in the league. As a result of that, it’s always going to be tough for Goff to get the recognition he deserves, short of leading the Lions to some dramatic winning on the field in the near future.
It’s fair to remember that Goff does have a Super Bowl appearance under his belt, as well as a pair of appearances in the Pro Bowl in both 2017 and 2018. He also has two playoff wins, which are rare numbers for a Lions quarterback to maintain.