Jared Goff’s first season with the Detroit Lions didn’t go as planned but the former No. 1 overall pick is confident as he heads into a new season.
Goff landed with the Lions last offseason as part of a trade that sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams, also netting Detroit a pair of first-round picks. He went 3-10-1 in his starts last season and was shaky at best, passing for 3,245 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
The Lions surfaced in some trade rumors this offseason, most prominently for former Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield. However, Goff remains atop the depth chart without much competition for the starting gig with David Blough and Tim Boyle behind him.
Goff will have some strong weapons to work with in new arrivals D.J. Chark and rookie Jameson Williams, who will combine forces in the passing game with tight end T.J. Hockenson and Amon-Ra St.Brown. Goff is confident the Lions are. ready to turn the corner next season.
“People outside the building can’t see it, obviously,” Goff told Peter King of Football Morning in America. “But we have a plan, and we’re all-in. People see some of what Dan says, and that’s great. But I can tell you—Dan knows what the hell he’s talking about, and he’s got the respect of that [locker] room.”
Dan Campbell Says Goff in ‘Real Good Place’
Goff came on strong at the end of last year, tossing nine touchdowns and just two interceptions over his final four games. While Goff struggled at times, he didn’t exactly walk into a great situation in Detroit and head coach Dan Campbell feels like his quarterback is in a solid spot heading into the new season.
“I think Goff’s in a real good place,” Campbell said. “Finished strong last year. I like the fact that we’ve got pieces around him that I think are going to help pull the most out of him. We’ve got some pieces here that complement each other that really will help him be the best that he can be. Listen, he’s an accurate quarterback. That’s what he does well. He can throw the football and he can put it right on the money.”
The Lions are a longshot to win the NFC North, coming in at +1,000 per DraftKings. But if Goff takes the leap with a year in Detroit under his belt and some new weapons, the Lions could make some noise and get out of the basement of the division.
Campbell Doubles Down on Culture Shift
Goff wasn’t the only person to catch some heat in Detroit last season. Campbell did as well with his somewhat unorthodox style and viral soundbites. With a year under his belt, Campbell is confident that his Lions can turn the corner.
“I know that people are probably tired of hearing foundation and the culture, but I do feel like we set that in year one,” Campbell told King. “I do feel like that for us was the primary goal. We have to create our own style, our own identity, our own culture of who we are, what we accept, what we don’t accept, and now let’s build from there. Now, in year two, we feel like we have that foundation built now. Let’s start stacking on top of it.”
We’ll see if the Lions can make the jump in Year 2 under Campbell and how many kneecaps they can bite on their way up.
Lions QB Jared Goff Sends Strong Message on Future