Here's what the numbers don't tell you about Jared Goff's decline the past two seasons, numbers that don't seem to concern Brad Holmes and the Lions: behind a healthy offensive line, he's played pretty well.
Almost as well as he played when he made back-to-back Pro Bowls behind one of the best offensive lines in football. And now one of the best offensive lines in football might belong to Detroit.
"I think it’s shaping up to hopefully be one of the top groups in the league," Goff said Thursday. "Obviously there’s a lot of work to do and I know they know that, but there’s a lot of good players up there right now and as a quarterback, that’s your best friend. So I’m excited for it."
Of course he is. Goff knows better than anyone what a steady unit up front has meant to his career. The Rams' offensive line, per Pro Football Focus, ranked sixth in the NFL in both 2017 and 2018. Goff's numbers over that stretch: 60 touchdowns, 19 interceptions, 100.8 rating.
The Rams' front was hammered by injuries in 2019. It featured nine different starters and finished the year ranked 31st in the NFL, per PFF. Goff: 22 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, 86.5 rating.
So how do you explain last year? The Rams had the best O-line in football, per PFF, and Goff continued to struggle: 20 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 90.0 rating. Except the best O-line in football was missing its starting left tackle, Andrew Whitworth, for the final seven games of the regular season.
Goff before Whitworth's injury: 270 yards per game, 13 touchdowns, six interceptions, 94.9 rating -- about the equivalent of Matthew Stafford's rating (95.8) the past three seasons.
Goff after Whitworth's injury: 250 yards per game, seven touchdowns, seven interceptions, 83.3 rating. (About the equivalent of Andy Dalton's rating (84.1) the past three seasons.)
Whitworth, a bonafide beast at age 39, returned from a torn MCL to play in both the Rams' playoff games. Goff: 100.7 rating.
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"Here's the reality of Jared Goff: he’s really good in play-action pass," former NFL GM Michael Lombardi said last week on 97.1 The Ticket. "When the game speeds up on third down and the protection doesn't hold up, that’s when he falls apart. There’s a reason the Rams got rid of him, because they couldn't run the drop-back pass game. He wouldn’t hold the ball long enough to make the tough throws, and that’s a problem."
We'll see what kind of offense the Lions run under Anthony Lynn. Goff said Lynn has described it as "multiple, with spread principles." But they shouldn't have a problem protecting Goff. They have a Pro Bowl-caliber left tackle in Taylor Decker, a Pro Bowl center in Frank Ragnow and last week they drafted a 330-pound dancing bear to play right tackle in Penei Sewell.
"Fired up, fired up," Goff said about Detroit's first-round pick. "When I saw we took Penei I know the staff was fired up and so was I. Obviously as a quarterback any time you get help up front, that’s always good."
It takes more than three good players to form a great offensive line. But the Lions have the pillars they need. In the gaps, Jonah Jackson is coming off a strong rookie season at left guard -- a potential pillar himself -- and last year's big-ticket free agent Halapoulivaati Vaitai will have every chance to win the job at right guard.
Look, Holmes and the Lions aren't building an offensive line for Jared Goff -- even if they seem committed to him moving forward. They're building an offensive line because it's a smart way to build a team. The upshot is that they might unearth the old version of their new quarterback.