Jared Goff Praises Underrated Lions for Stepping Up: ‘That’s So Cool’

Getty Tom Kennedy runs with the ball in a 2022 game vs. Seattle.

The Detroit Lions have the top offense in the NFL in spite of missing multiple pieces, and that theme continued well into Week 4.

Detroit put 45 points on the board with an unusual cast of characters on the field, and that’s something which left quarterback Jared Goff very impressed.

Goff watched as players like Tom Kennedy, Maurice Alexander, Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds made play after play to keep the team in the game, and it was something he was thrilled about as the team’s quarterback and leader.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday, October 5, Goff dished on the contributions of his underrated players and admitted he came away very impressed with how that group kept the show going for the offense.

“Those guys, they’re ready to go, man. They’re really ready to go. I think it was so cool. It’s always so cool. Not cool when guys go down, but when there are guys that have to step up,” Goff said. “(Quintez) Cephus goes down mid-game and now you have you know Josh (Reynolds), Khalif (Raymond) and (Tom) Kennedy is really the three and then Maurice (Alexander) was was subbing a little bit. Really those three guys had to kind of in some ways figure it out on the fly. The communication, the huddle and making things work on the run and seeing them communicate. Seeing Josh go to play X. He has zero reps at X all week and just picks it up. Makes it a lot of fun and those are the days that you always remember.”

That trio combined for 173 yards and one touchdown on the day, while underrated runner Justin Jackson would add a touchdown catch of his own to the mix. Certainly, seeing these players step up and keep things going was a breath of fresh air for the Lions.

Goff has good chemistry with this group already, so it will be interesting to see where things can go for him with these players moving forward.

Goff Focused on Making Personal Improvements

While Goff has played at a level that some see as MVP worthy already, the quarterback isn’t focused on that at all. As he said, the team has to continue to try and clean things up and be more efficient no matter who is on the field.

“We’ve been doing some good stuff offensively, but we (don’t) have much to feel great about right now except for the Washington win. There’s a lot of room to grow offensively. I felt comfortable, but at the same time, I’ve made a couple costly mistakes I’d like to fix and get better from.”

Specifically, Goff said that his coordinator has done well to get him in the right frame of mind to play and have success, even if he feels he could do more and improve.

“I’ve been in some good situations and Ben (Johnson’s) done a great job getting me ready to play. We’ve had some good receivers out there and I’ve made some good throws and done some good things,” he said. “Like I kind of alluded to, it’s been just short a couple times and I’m sure I’d have a little bit of a better attitude if it was the other way. If we made those plays and we’re looking at it 3-1 or 4-0 you know? You’re one play away a couple times, and how do we make that one play? How do we eliminate those costly mistakes?”

That will be the challenge for Goff and the offense this week, and it might not be easy with more new players likely set to rotate in.

Lions Likely to Rely on Depth Again

Against the Patriots, the Lions might have to be short-staffed again, which would force Goff to dip back into his arsenal of underrated players once more.

Wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown may not be completely ready to come back. Running back D’Andre Swift remains on the sidelines. Wideout DJ Chark may or may not be ready to return, and Quintez Cephus may be out again. That could put more pressure on this group to step up once more.

In terms of the team’s players who got reps last week, it might be beneficial for the team to keep them in the mix and growing with the team while letting the injured players find a way to heal up.

No matter what happens, count on Goff being ready to roll with whomever is on the field. It’s something he sounds more than ready for to start a new week.

READ NEXT: Lions Should Make Michael Badgley Starting Kicker