I realize that my headline might draw some raised eyebrows. Jared Goff is an elite quarterback. Many will disagree with that statement, but I’m here to explain my reasoning on why Jared Goff elite quarterback status is real.
It’s easy to shine with a team that’s been doing well for years. Honestly, when Matthew Stafford went to Los Angeles and scored the L.A. Rams a Super Bowl title, I wasn’t all that impressed. I’m not saying that Stafford is a bad quarterback. But, he landed inside a team that was already one of the best in the league. It was stacked. They had already gotten to the Super Bowl with what was pretty much their lineup, and at the time, Jared Goff was their quarterback. So, Stafford stepping into a situation where the team was stacked and the chemistry had been building for years. They could have won that year’s Super Bowl with a number of other quarterbacks. But, again, I don’t want to take away from Stafford’s victory. He’s a talent, and that he deserved that win.
What gives Jared Goff elite quarterback status?
In 2021, Goff stepped into a team that’s had experienced little success, to keep it kind. The Detroit Lions are known for being the “Same Ol’ Lions” every season. They haven’t been to a playoff game is years. Up until recently, they had been the brunt of all the NFL jokes. “At least we’re not the Lions,” teams would say.
It would take a truly great quarterback to come into a situation like the Lions have and turn things around. That’s just what Goff has done. He didn’t step into an All-Star team. He stepped into a team that was hurting. Goff found himself at a team with little history together and little chemistry. Somehow, he motivated them to pull off a winning season in 2022 and almost make it to the playoffs.
Since joining the team, Goff has established a positive and productive relationship with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. If fact, Johnson has even said that Goff is a major reason why he returned to the Detroit Lions in 2023.
Status don’t lie, too. Last season, Goff threw for 29 touchdowns and had only seven interceptions on 587 pass attempts. That gave him the lowest interception percentage of his career. He also didn’t throw even one interception during the final nine games of Detroit’s season. Also, during those final nine games, Goff made a whopping 15 touchdowns happen. The Lions had a 7-2 record for those last games, too.
Goff was a force in the second half of last season, winning almost every game. If he can keep that level of success in 2023, there’s no stopping the Detroit Lions. They’re already favorites in the NFL North and are expected to beat out the Minnesota Vikings for the title. They’re also favorite to make it to the playoffs. What about actually making it to the Super Bowl? Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. But, a Super Bowl run is way more possible than it was at this time last year.