Getty Jared Goff gestures to Lions teammates in a 2021 game against Denver.
How Jared Goff does in the 2022 NFL season will go a long way toward determining what his future is with the Detroit Lions, and if things go as planned, he could be heading toward a solid resolution for the team.
The Lions put all of their faith in Goff this offseason, choosing to build around the quarterback, and in the end, that could be seen as a good decision, as it could pay off for the team thanks to Goff’s abilities.
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At this point in time, Goff is seen as a good bet to be able to have a great season in 2022. In fact, he’s being called a candidate for a “most likely” bounce back at his position this coming year.
Pro Football Focus took a look at naming the quarterbacks primed for a bounce-back this season. Goff placed on Conor McQuiston’s list, which was based on metrics and then plugged in for simulation. Goff came up on the list and placed within the No. 7 slot.
“Goff is not expected to light the world on fire in 2022; it’s more likely he’ll post below-average results this season. Even so, with the addition of DJ Chark, the emergence of Amon-Ra St. Brown as a credible threat and a strong offensive line, there is plenty of reason for optimism that Goff will enjoy better results in 2022,” McQuiston wrote.
No matter what Goff does statistically, it will be likely to look better than the start to his 2021 season. The Lions have given him a running game as well as beefed-up the team’s wideout core. For those reasons alone, Goff should figure to show much better, which is something experts understand.
Now, his bounce-back even seems likely according to some.
Goff Receiving Major Offseason Praise
No matter where anyone turns this offseason, praise for Goff is not hard to find. It’s come from Dan Campbell, as well as Lions teammates. It’s also coming from quarterback coach Mark Brunell, a seasoned veteran in terms of the position in the league.
Speaking to the media on Monday, June 13, Brunell was asked about where Goff has trended, and as he admitted, its been impressive to see him operate so far. Goff, in Brunell’s mind, has had a great spring.
“Jared has had an excellent spring, really sharp. You guys have seen it. He’s made some throws this spring that have been impressive,” Brunell told the media. “You’re doing some new things offensively and he has embraced this system and has done very, very well with really just going out there and executing it. He’s done very, very well this this spring.”
A big reason for the early success according to Brunell? The way the Lions’ new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has connected with Goff. Johnson has earned a lot of praise for how he has handled things thus far, and his work with Goff might be the biggest reason for folks to feel encouraged.
“Jared and Ben (Johnson) spent a lot of time together and talked about different concepts,” Brunell said. “Things that Jared has had that have been successful within his past not only with the Rams, but here last year. So I think the coordinator and the starting quarterback, whenever they can spend time together I think it just helps everybody. It certainly has helped us this spring.”
Having a quarterback not only comfortable in his offense but helping to put it together is a big benefit for the Lions. Brunell has seen a ton during his time in the league given 18 years experience, so for this progress to get his stamp of approval is very meaningful for the Lions.
It could represent the best sign yet that Goff is primed for a serious season in 2022, and another good reason to bet on PFF being right in this case.
Goff’s 2021 Finish Could Provide Springboard
Regardless of any narratives about him otherwise, Detroit has a quarterback they can seemingly count on for the future in Goff under center. In spite of all the early struggles and injury trouble late in the year, Goff found a way to finish the 2021 season strong on the field.
Since Thanksgiving, Goff was on relative fire as statistics go at quarterback. 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 FedEx Air Player of the Week award.
Perhaps the game that showed Lions fans the most was his impressive 3 touchdown performance against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15:
Goff is the kind of quarterback that can run hot and cold, so getting him going will be a big goal for the Lions early in 2022. If they do, he might not look back.
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Jared Goff Cracks Major Quarterback List Amid Big ‘Reason for Optimism’