Getty Jared Goff runs in a game against Seattle for the Lions.
While the Detroit Lions have plenty of questions about their start to the 2022 season, one thing that cannot be called into question is the play of Jared Goff.
The quarterback has done a nice job so far to lead the Lions, and outside of a few costly interceptions, has not been a reason the team has lost games. Coincidentally, he’s a reason the Lions have been in many of their contests so far. For some, that fact could be shocking given the low faith many showed in Goff this offseason.
As a result of that, should Goff be getting some more publicity for the NFL MVP award? Some think that should be the case, and Twitter site StatMuse put together an interesting case for it.
The site pointed out that Goff is currently statistically better than some of the bigger-name players such as Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert. That’s a who’s who of the quarterback position early in 2022.
Jared Goff this season:
More completions than
— Brady
— Mahomes
— Rodgers
More pass yards than
— Brady
— Mahomes
— Hurts
More pass touchdowns than:
— Allen
— Herbert
— Rodgers
MVP?
“Jared Goff this season: More completions than Brady, Mahomes, Rodgers. More pass yards than Brady, Mahomes, Hurts. More pass touchdowns than Allen, Herbert, Rodgers. MVP?,” the site tweeted.
Even though this is the case, MVP talk for Goff has been muted and will likely remain that way. It’s hard for some to justify the quarterback as one of the best passers in the league, but statistically, these facts are hard to ignore.
Another thing to keep in mind? Goff has done this without weapons given Detroit’s offensive line has been dinged-up, and names like D’Andre Swift, DJ Chark, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams have all missed time.
For this reason, Goff could be an MVP, seeing as he is keeping the Lions in games with his arm. Even such, few people are likely to see things that way, despite the fact he is having a career season.
Goff Putting up Solid Stats During 2022 Season
As this comparison shows, there’s been few more impressive at quarterback so far this season than Goff, even if he hasn’t gotten a lot of the love reserved for those other names.
Thus far, Goff has been a passing maniac, putting up a solid 1,126 yards and 11 touchdowns to just three interceptions so far. His quarterback rating sits at 99.9 as well. Here’s a look at what he did on the field in Week 4:
Goff has been a big reason the Lions offense has been so explosive. His ability to confidently distribute the ball has gone a long way for the team, and he has played with relative control outside a few mistakes.
Goff’s Case for NFL MVP Likely Impossible
While this idea is fun and while statistically, Goff could qualify for the award based on lots of factors, he’s not likely to be a strong MVP candidate given the team he plays on.
This year, the Lions are 1-3 through the first four weeks of the season, and are suffering from a defense which is making some history for how bad they are. While Detroit’s offense has been phenomenal so far, the defense has not matched them, and has cost the team plenty of the momentum they have tried to build.
Additionally, the Lions would have to make a massive push to the playoffs and Goff would have to continue to put up cartoonish numbers in order to have any chance at winning the MVP politically. With others like Jalen Hurts or Josh Allen playing for winning teams, the road would simply be too long for a guy like Goff, buried in a place like Detroit.
Even though that is the case, Goff has easily been Detroit’s MVP so far this season, and that is as good a reason to celebrate him as any, especially as the team continues to find their way this year.
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