A couple years ago, you might not have believed that Jared Goff — discarded by the Los Angeles Rams and picked up by the Detroit Lions in the Matthew Stafford trade — would be on the verge of an NFL record as the franchise signal-caller for a team on the rise.
But that’s the case. Goff this weekend can set a new mark for pass attempts without an interception as the Lions host the Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field. Goff needs to avoid throwing a pick over his next 44 pass attempts to break a record held by Aaron Rodgers — but the former #1 overall pick claims not to know the significance of the streak he’s on.
Goff is all about the team
Coincidentally, the last time Goff threw an interception was against Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers — in Week 9 of the 2022 season, before Detroit went on a hot streak to end the year.
Across the final nine games of the 2022 season, the Lions‘ offense turned the ball over just three times, so it’s no coincidence Detroit went 7-2 over that span. The white-hot Lions have carried that form into 2023, as Goff spearheaded an upset win over the Chiefs in Kansas City last Thursday.
But the former California Golden Bear is keeping his eye on the prize — namely, the next game, and avoiding killer turnovers.
Once upon a time, Goff was among the most turnover-prone quarterbacks in the league — his 38 giveaways between 2019 and 2020 were the second-most in the NFL. But under Dan Campbell in Detroit, Goff has returned to Pro Bowl form — and is showing he’s more responsible than ever.
Lions seeking a 2-0 start
Detroit has not won its first two games in a season since 2017, and enthusiasm in the Motor City is running high in light of the Lions‘ performances since the middle of last season.
The Lions are 5.5-point favorites for Sunday afternoon’s contest with Seattle. While Geno Smith and the Seahawks are hoping to bounce back from their season-opening 30-13 home loss to the Rams, Ford Field will be electric as fans are eager to finally back a winning football team.
“We’ve probably got the most ruthless fans in the game…from talking crap, they feed off of us, they yell the loudest,” safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson said. “You gonna see on Sunday, blue ski masks everywhere.”
