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The Detroit Lions have enjoyed an impressive resurgence this season, and at one point, the team was a dismal 1-6, and looked to be more focused on playing out the string than accomplishing anything meaningful.
Quickly, the tables turned for the team when they were able to upend the rival Green Bay Packers 15-9 on November 6, 2022. That day was really the beginning of the team’s reversal in fortunes.
As for why that was the case, Jared Goff seems to think that it was the game where the Lions learned how to win. Speaking to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Goff discussed where the team is heading in a wide-ranging interview.
The most interesting revelation? Detroit’s big win against Green Bay helped light the fuse for the team and prove they were capable of actually winning a game in crunch time. That belief has now snowballed, allowing Detroit to take off as the season presses on.
As Breer wrote, Goff would likely concede the Lions already knew they were capable of beating good teams, but the win over the Packers helped to prove it once and for all. It was a ‘seeing is believing’ moment for the team.
“We were losing these close games against really good teams and we were playing good football,” Goff said to Breer in the piece. “We really were [in] a lot of those games that we lost early on. I mean, there’s a world and a scenario where we could have a plus record right now if we finished off some of those games early on. But that was kind of the learning curve that we had to go through. And I was just saying to the guys, winning isn’t, like, some magic potion. It’s not something someone’s going to say in a team meeting. It’s really just emphasizing doing your job every single play, one play at a time and maybe be a little bit more focused in the fourth quarter to do your job. But we don’t need somebody to be Superman. We don’t need anybody to come out of nowhere and be a player that they aren’t. Just be who you are, do your job and things will fall where they may.”
So far, that’s played out for the Lions in a big way, and the team has won five games out of six since the Packers victory. They are playing confident, going toe-to-toe with upper-echelon teams and putting away big wins.
More tests come down the stretch as the Lions will try to stay alive in an unlikely playoff chase, but it’s clear the team’s execution in the big moments over the last month could prove to be an advantage.
Goff Deserves Credit for Leading Lions Comeback
The Lions have also been winning thanks to the play of Goff himself at quarterback. It’s been a banner season so far for Goff, and it feels as if things are simply going to keep getting better for him.
How good has Goff been? He’s a top 10 quarterback in the league by most metrics, something the Lions PR account tweeted about recently. That’s the good news in terms of his play at the position.
“This season, Lions QB Jared Goff ranks: t-3rd in 300-yard games (4), t-5th in pass TDs (22), t-5th in 25+ yd. completions (26), t-5th in games with a 100.0+ rating (6), 6th in passing 1st downs (172), 7th in rating (97.9), 8th in yards (3,352),” the account tweeted.
Through Week 14, Goff has put up a very solid 22 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. Goff has thrown for 3,352 yards and has been a quality game manager for the Lions. He’s avoided the big mistakes for the most part, and been a player who has looked very comfortable within the team’s offense.
Detroit could keep Goff given what he has been able to do in leading a resurgent Lions offense most of the year, and it sounds as if that could be what they are poised to do. He’s had some inconsistent games, but that applies to nearly any quarterback in the game.
As much credit as Goff gives his team for rebounding, it’s clear none of it would be possible without his steady leadership on the field for them in clutch moments.
Goff: Lions Never Stopped Believing
When things were darkest for the team before the key victory over Green Bay, how did Goff help them stay together? It wasn’t hard, because his team never lost faith much at all.
As Goff explained to Breer in the piece, the entire offense never wavered in their faith thanks to the talent they have, and as a result, the team continued to fight even when things seemed darkest before dawn.
“I can speak offensively, just the O-line we have, the receivers we have and the running backs we have are as good as I’ve been around,” Goff said to Breer. “And I’ve been on some good offenses. And those guys together, it’s like, ‘O.K., it’s going to come. Like, We have the pieces, we have the players, we believe in [coordinator] Ben [Johnson]. He’s calling good things during training camp and early on in the season, and it was even when we were struggling.'”
The results have started to come, and Goff is now the quarterback of arguably the hottest team in the NFL. That speaks to his leadership and the team’s ability to stick together.
It also speaks to how one win can set the spark that ignites the flame. Fans need only look to Week 9 to find that moment.
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