Jared Goff has piled up more than 80 wins as an NFL quarterback, many of them memorable. His latest ranks near the top of the list.
Detroit's 38-30 victory in Baltimore against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens "was one of my favorites, I think, since I’ve been with the Lions," Goff said Tuesday on 97.1 The Ticket. "Just going on the road, Monday Night Football, it’s a really good team, raucous environment, really, really fun to get a win."
There was a lot of noise surrounding the Lions after their Week 1 loss to the Packers. Goff, at times, likes to spin it both ways. He'll tell you in one breath that he doesn't hear the critics, and that he enjoys quieting them in the next. He's human. We all want to brush off negativity. We all can't help but file some of it away.
After responding to various critiques about new offensive coordinator John Morton in his weekly interview here following the Packers game, Goff closed last week's spot after the Lions hung 50 on the Bears by quipping, "You guys aren’t going to ask me about the coordinators this week? No, no, it’s OK. I was just wondering. I’m good." It was good-natured and pointed at the same time.
Most of the NFL world was picking against the Lions in their trip to Baltimore, where they were blown out in 2023. They opened as 6.5-point underdogs, the biggest spread in their opponent's favor since their Thanksgiving game against the Bills in 2022. It was a bit of a slap in the face to a team with the most wins in the NFL over the last two and a half seasons.
But narratives are strong. The Lions were supposed to struggle this season after losing their top two coordinators and two of their best offensive linemen, Goff was supposed to regress, and Dan Campbell was supposed to be caught with his pants down without Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. Week 1 amplified the doubts. Pundits said Detroit's reign in the North was ending.
In two games since, the Lions have destroyed Johnson and the Bears and bullied one of the best teams in the AFC. Asked if Monday night's win was especially satisfying in that it either countered or confirmed any narratives, Goff initially said, "I don’t know if I’m looking to crush any narratives. It’s fun to go on the road against a really good team and go win that game."
Then he added, "I think back two weeks ago, the sky was falling. I won’t forget about that, everyone that thought we were done. And certainly we’ll remember that for the rest of the year and use it as a little motivation."
Campbell will take fuel wherever he can find it. Goff is the same way. The sky might not have been falling after Week 1, but there were certainly clouds of concern. "Doom and gloom," Campbell likes to call it. The mood has lightened with two impressive wins, at least for now.
As Goff knows, you're only as good as your last game. Or so he's heard.