With two wins — both over pretty good teams — in the past three weeks, the Lions were slowly building momentum toward a fun stretch at the end of an otherwise forgettable season. Unfortunately, as has been the case with so many other teams around the NFL and the world of sports as a whole, COVID-19 has gotten in the way.
On Friday, Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters at team practice that it's "highly unlikely" quarterback Jared Goff will be available for Sunday's game against Atlanta. Goff was placed on the COVID list after testing positive on Monday and has dealt with mild symptoms. He explained his situation to Audacy Detroit affiliate 97.1 The Ticket in more detail this past Tuesday.
"I’m feeling good," Goff said. "It’s pretty much a mild cold. I'm feeling fine."
Goff played through the flu when Detroit won its first game of the season, defeating the Minnesota Vikings in the first week of December, but the league's policies obviously differ for the two illnesses.
According to ESPN's Eric Woodyard, Tim Boyle is expected to start in Goff's place. Boyle started back in Week 11 against the Browns, going 15-23 for just 77 yards, no touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. They'll be hoping for a better turnout if/when he takes the field this coming Sunday against a vulnerable Atlanta Falcons defense that has allowed the second-most points and the third-most passing touchdowns on the season to opposing offenses. In fact, despite their 6-8 record, the Falcons have an even worse point differential (-126) than the Lions (2-11-1), and so this would have been viewed as a very winnable game had Goff been able to play.
With Goff expected to miss the game, though that's not yet official, the Lions are 6.5-point road underdogs on DraftKings Sportsbook.
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