The Detroit Lions managed to finish the 2022 season strong, and the biggest reason that was the case was the play of quarterback Jared Goff.
From the start of the season until the end, Goff managed to rise to the occasion and lead the Lions confidently at the position. Without him, the team would not have rebounded from a 1-6 start to surge to a 9-8 record and narrowly miss the postseason.
While there has been some debate about where Goff stands when stacked against his peers, the answer from the media might not be that bad for Lions fans after a new tiers list has been revealed.
Pro Football Focus and writer John Kosko took a look at new quarterback tiers at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. The list was complied using metrics such as wins above replacement and expected points added per-pass.
While many may have thought Goff as a lower option in past years, his improved play has him surging up the board for his work last year.
Goff placed 16th in the league for this season, which was right in the middle of the pack for quarterbacks. Indeed, he was called a “mid-tier” quarterback for his work, and while that may feel like a slight, it actually isn’t for Goff at this stage.
As Kosko wrote, Goff’s play led the Detroit offense, and his finish was admirable this season given how he rebounded to some up and down play.
“Jared Goff led an efficient Detroit Lions offense. While he had his fair share of inconsistent play, he still finished the season on a high note, earning a 79.3 PFF grade in the Week 18 victory against the Green Bay Packers to knock Aaron Rodgers & Co. out of the playoffs,” Kosko said in the piece.
Goff’s season was a success in that he proved he could win with the Lions, perhaps taking the pressure off them to draft a quarterback. Now, the team could look to add defense and beef up the skill positions in order to help an improving Goff.
It’s not inconceivable that a comfortable Goff could surge above fading names such as Ryan Tannehill, Andy Dalton and the retired Tom Brady. Even names such as Brock Purdy and Daniel Jones have questions about their viability moving forward after career years this past season.
Lions fans should like where Goff is at, and should be excited to see what he can do moving forward.
Ben Johnson Hoping to Unlock More From Goff
When discussing Goff, it’s impossible not to acknowledge the fact that the Lions have given their quarterback some great tools to grow when leading his new team.
Goff’s development has been impressive to those in charge, including offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. As Johnson explained to DetroitLions.com reporter Tim Twentyman in a Twentyman in the Huddle podcast, the team has pushed Goff and he has responded and elevated his play. Now, they’re looking to do more of that for 2023.
“It’s been encouraging. There’s been plenty that that we took from his past that we knew that he did really well. He opened up and he was willing to be challenged in some areas as well, so we saw him make tremendous growth from the end of last year through training camp, Johnson told Twentyman. “Bye week, we dove in on how he could improve as a player and thought we saw the dividends of that second half of the season. The good news is, when he comes back in the building, we’re going to have another plan of action for him to take another few steps forward to where he can continue to progress and be an even better player than he was this past year. That’s the exciting thing and knowing him, he’s going to embrace it and run with it.”
Goff has turned around his career with some motivation and hard work, which is excellent to see. The team now knows that they can depend on him to continue to elevate his game from his position on the field. That is special to note, and the reward is a resurgence on lists such as this one.
In the future, Goff could take even more leaps forward in the NFL if he is able to continue to respond to coaching as well as he has lately in Detroit.
Goff’s 2022 Stats Were Elite
It’s clear that no matter where he ranks in terms of his peers, the Lions had no reason to be disappointed with their quarterback statistically and otherwise.
This past year, Goff put up a very solid 29 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Goff has thrown for a quality 4,438 yards with a decent 99.3 QBR. Goff was a quality game manager for the Lions. He avoided the big mistakes for the most part, and been a player who has looked very comfortable within the team’s offense.
Unfortunately for Goff, the quarterback isn’t flashy, nor is he hyped by the media as one of the best in the league. As a result of that, it’s always going to be tough for Goff to get the recognition he deserves and be high on these lists, short of leading the Lions to some dramatic winning on the field in the near future.
It’s fair to remember that Goff does have a Super Bowl appearance under his belt, as well as a pair of appearances in the Pro Bowl in both 2017 and 2018 and again in 2023. He also has two playoff wins, which are rare numbers for a Lions quarterback to maintain.
Goff seems to be in the right place to take a future jump forward, and already, he is being seen as on the move upward in rankings.
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Lions’ Jared Goff Surges up Within New NFL Quarterback Tier Ranking