Getty Jared Goff throws in front of Tim Boyle and David Blough at 2021 Lions training camp.
This offseason, one of the biggest goals of the Detroit Lions was to make sure they had an offense capable of generating more big plays. That mission, however, may not have been accomplished.
While some have seen what the Lions have done and been impressed, others have looked at who is distributing the ball and still have some major reservations about the team for 2022.
Specifically, Pro Football Focus analyst Ben Linsey could be counted in that category. Linsey recently looked at the strengths and weaknesses of NFL rosters ahead of the 2022 season and found that the team’s quarterbacks are still the top weakness in his opinion.
As Linsey wrote, quarterback Jared Goff has shown a propensity lately to not throw the ball nearly as far, which might make the offense for the Lions much less explosive. Even as the team has improved, it makes him far less likely to be optimistic about Detroit’s offense overall.
“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,” he wrote.
As a result, Linsey thinks the team’s passing will struggle with Goff, especially the element of the deep ball.
“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,” he said in the piece.
While Goff may be dialing things back a bit, the team has also added weapons which could suit him, and has an offensive line most figure to be one of the tops in the NFL. That could allow Goff more time, opportunity and confidence to make plays.
The road to finding out begins this week, and the pressure is on Goff to prove the doubters wrong for his own future. At this point, the dissenting voices are still out there for the quarterback.
New Offense, Weapons Suit Goff Well
The Lions worked hard this offseason to give Goff the kind of room he can depend on for the future, and that might be the biggest reason he has success this year.
Not only did the Lions add weapons like DJ Chark and Jameson Williams from outside the facility, they kept players like Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond, both of whom proved they could be a big part of the mix in 2021. Better than that, the team has a solid offensive line and playmakers at running back to rely on as well.
Offensively, the team also promoted Ben Johnson, who has empowered Goff and given the Lions a breath of fresh air with his work. Add it up and it could mean Goff is set up for some sneaky statistical success with the team.
Goff Getting Hyped Before 2022 Season
While some are still reserved about Goff, that opinion hasn’t been commonplace in recent days. Many are now realizing that the quarterback could be sneaky good in the Detroit attack.
Goff has been called a player who is capable of making some big gains on the field, and recently, ESPN analyst Dan Graziano predicted him to shatter some of his old career highs within Detroit’s offense during the 2022 season.
This year, Goff should feel much more comfortable within his offense, which could lead to a bigger season on the field. While some are ready to give Goff a chance, others aren’t sure how things will play out.