The Detroit Lions were finally able to put everything together and snag a victory in Week 9, and the reason had plenty to do with their defense.
While the team gave up nearly 400 yards of offense, they stiffened in the red zone against Green Bay and forced three costly turnovers in the game. On offense, they were able to execute just well enough at the right time to get the victory.
That. was something which Jared Goff appreciated. Goff was far from perfect on the day, but he did throw two key touchdown passes to lead the team, and was also the beneficiary of a defense that finally stepped up.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, November 9, Goff talked about how important it was to have the defense play hard, and as he said, it was a big variable for him to feel a bit more comfortable and stress free during the game.
“That was huge. It was really big, I think especially after I had the turnover, getting one immediately, that’s huge. I mean I’ve certainly got a lot of things to clean up, but when I don’t feel like I have to play perfect and I can make a mistake and and the defense can have my back as we do have theirs, that makes things a whole lot smoother and a whole lot easier for us to overcome,” Goff admitted. “It’s really big when they can cause turnovers like they were last week and be around the ball, sacks negative plays for their offense, penalties, whatever it may be. It was it was really big.”
It was easily the best defensive performance the Lions have had all season long, which was huge for the team. Detroit only allowed nine total points and was active and pesky against the Packers all day, even though Aaron Rodgers later tried to downplay</a their impact.
Goff not feeling he has to play perfect could do a lot for the Lions, and the game showed that if the team simply had an average defense, they could have done a lot of damage earlier in the 2022 season.
All that matters is picking up the pieces now and moving forward. Goff seems to realize that a strong defense could even improve his side of the ball dramatically.
Goff Aims to Seize Opportunities on Offense
A big goal for the Lions now is to find a way to take advantage of when the defense gives them life. According to Goff, capitalizing on those moments is significant for the team moving forward.
As he said, seeing those chances come up and playing complementary football would be huge for the Lions, and honing in on those moments is a must for the team.
“I think it’s just trying to understand when those moments are. For example, I throw the interception, they know okay, here’s our chance to kind of stymie this and make that play. Then on the flip side, hey, they get an interception. Hey boys. This is our chance. Points off turnovers we talk about a lot, like this is our chance to kind of make an impact in the game and make this turnover matter. So just being cognizant of it and aware of when those moments are,” Goff said.
If the Lions could be balanced like they were in Week 9 and pick each other up on both sides, that would go a long way toward solving the problems they have had on defense.
Goff Knows Challenge of Bears’ 2022 Defense
If the Lions are going to win this week, they’re going to have to see their offense step up in a bigger way and play a bigger role. It will have to happen against a defense that has been plucky this season.
As Goff explained, what he sees from the Bears is a tough group that doesn’t quit and is very sound in what they do on the field. To that end, he knows it’s going to be a challenge when the Lions go on the road.
“They play really hard. Really, really hard and they’re sound. I think you can tell they got some young guys in there that are just playing really hard, really doing their best and and really flying around,” Goff said.
No matter how much they may fly around, Goff is right to say that a big opportunity exists for the Lions to continue to feel themselves on both sides of the ball in Week 10.
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Jared Goff Looking for Repeat ‘Huge’ Performance From Lions’ Defense