Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff could be outperforming his preseason rankings before he even hits the field.
Goff fell outside the top-10 on NFL.com’s initial quarterback rankings this year, but the list is earning some scorn after New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye fell flat in the season opener. Maye has endured a long stretch of bad games dating back to last year’s playoff run, but still managed to rank above the more proven veteran Goff.
One NFL writer is now calling out that ranking in light of Maye’s stumbles against the Seattle Seahawks.
Jared Goff’s Ranking Already Looks Out of Step
SI.com writer John Maakaron took issue with Goff ranking No. 11, a full seven spots behind the third-year signal-caller from New England.
“Maye came in ranked fourth,” Maakaron wrote. “Against the Seahawks, the former No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft tossed three fourth-quarter interceptions, resulting in the Patriots losing their season-opener, 13-10, on the road.”
Maakaron added that the Lions coaching staff has full faith in Goff, and the list-makers should have seen it the same way.
“Dan Campbell and several members of the roster have expressed publicly that Goff is among the most underrated quarterbacks in the league,” he wrote. “While Goff may not be a top 5 quarterback, he likely should be ranked higher than Maye.”
Lions QB Jared Goff Gets Strong Message After Drake Maye Struggles