Jared Goff warmed up in September, caught fire in October and enters November as the hottest quarterback in NFL history.
"It’s been fun, man, it really has," Goff said this week. "We’re rolling right now."
In 1999, Kurt Warner produced the best five-game stretch by a quarterback the NFL had ever seen, on his way to winning MVP. From Weeks 3 to 7, Warner posted a passer rating of 144.8, while completing 76 percent of his throws with 15 touchdowns and one interception. Goff just bested him.
Over the past five games, Goff has a passer rating of 146.5, while completing 83 percent of his throws with 12 touchdowns and one interception. Over the past four games, a rating of 155.0 -- a perfect rating is 158.3, mind you -- with 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Russell Wilson had a similarly incredible -- and more prolific -- stretch in 2015, throwing 19 touchdowns and no picks. But the quarterback from California is riding an unprecedented wave in Detroit.
The highest passer rating over a five-game stretch in NFL history (min. 50 attempts):
1. Jared Goff, 146.5 (2024)
2. Kurt Warner, 144.8 (1999)
3. Russell Wilson, 143.6 (2015)
The highest passer rating over a four-game stretch in NFL history (min. 50 attempts):
1. Jared Goff, 155.0 (2024)
2. Kurt Warner, 147.4 (1999)
3. Russell Wilson, 145.9 (2015)
On top of that, Goff just posted the highest passer rating ever in the month of October.
In a conversation this week with Bill Belichick on the Let's Go! podcast, Goff said the continuity of the Lions' offense is pushing everyone to new heights.
"In the third year having Ben Johnson back, we’ve got the same offensive line, added (Kevin) Zeitler from the Ravens, and really the same skill players, and it all just keep adding and accumulating," said Goff. "Those guys protect me, those guys run great routes, I’m delivering it on time and accurately. But for the most part, obviously those numbers are cool, I’m just trying to play disciplined football, and I think I have, and trying to continue to that."
Belichick went so far as to say the Lions' offense is "impossible to stop," to which Goff said Tuesday, "Bill was being nice." He was also being honest. As Goff said himself, "It’s hard with the amount of weapons we have."
"There are some instances where (defenses) have to pick their poison on who they want to stop and they’re going to leave somebody else open," said Goff. "And we’ve known that to be the case the whole season now, with just the multitude of guys we have available to throw it to, to run it with and obviously with the O-line and the way they’re playing, it makes it all go."
The Lions lead the NFL in scoring offense with 33.4 points per game. How do they continue to play at this level?
"You just keep working and trying to maintain what we’re doing," said Goff. "Of course you hope it’s smooth sailing until whenever it’s over, but we’ll hit some adversity and have to overcome it. That’s the challenge, is trying to come back to work tomorrow and practice well, put on another good week and get ready for Green Bay."