Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff had another terrific game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 7. But unlike previous contests, Goff didn’t need to outscore the Packers to win.
The Lions defense played very well Sunday versus Green Bay. In fact, the unit was arguably even better than the offense. The Lions held the Packers to 324 yards, including only 60 on the ground.
Furthermore, the Packers only scored one touchdown on four red-zone possessions and converted just 5 of 15 third-downs.
Goff commended his defense for how well they play in Week 7.
“Yeah, they did. They really did. They’re starting to come together, and I think you guys can see it firsthand,” Goff told reporters after the win. “I think the thing that sticks out is some of these plays down the field that they’re making on the ball and how much confidence they’re playing with all across the board. The pass rush is still what it is.
“It’s fun to watch, man. It really is. And they’re getting us the ball back, and we got to do better in some of those situations to extend that lead, but they kept us in it.”
Lions safety Brian Branch, who made his season debut Sunday, intercepted Packers quarterback Jordan Love in the matchup. In large part because of the defense, the Lions defeated the Packers 20-17 in Week 7.
Jared Goff Speaks out on Lions Defense After Big Win vs. Packers
Having Branch back appeared to make a pretty big difference. Coming off the bye, Detroit’s other defensive backs looked better too.
As a result, the Lions gave up 5.7 yards per pass. They were yielding 6.4 yards per attempt before Sunday.
Detroit was also allowing opponents to convert more than 50% of their third downs.
Across the board, the Lions defense was better Sunday. The team needed it. The Lions moved the ball with great efficiency, but penalties, red zone issues and turnovers contributed to only 20 points on offense.
Goff’s Big Day Against Green Bay
Early this season, Goff has quietly become an MVP candidate.
In Week 7, the Lions quarterback completed 22 of 32 passes for 303 yards. He averaged 9.5 yards per attempt with two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Goff now has 14 touchdowns without throwing an interception in six games this season. He’s the only signal-caller in the league with more than five touchdown passes and zero picks.
Goff is also fifth in the league with 1,788 passing yards. The four quarterbacks ahead of him, though, haven’t had their bye week yet.
The Lions quarterback is leading the NFL with 298 passing yards per game. The next closest is Bryce Young with 285.3 passing yards per contest.
With that kind of quarterback play, the Lions are going to be in every game. But if they also play defense the way they did Sunday versus the Packers, Detroit is going to become very tough to beat.
Lions’ Jared Goff Speaks out on Defense After Narrow Win vs. Packers