It is wild to think that over the last four games – all wins for the Lions over Minnesota, Dallas, Seattle and Arizona – Detroit's offense has more touchdowns (18) than quarterback Jared Goff has thrown incompletions.
The nine-year veteran is playing quarterback as well as anyone in the NFL right now and is the biggest reason why Detroit is 5-1 and looking to make it five straight wins Sunday against the Tennessee Titans (1-5) at Ford Field.
"It feels like every game I look up he's got like four incompletions," Tennessee head coach Brian Callahan told tennesseetitans.com this week of Goff. "They've done a great job of finding their playmakers. He deals the ball. Jared, I think, is an underrated quarterback. He is probably playing the position as good as anybody in football right now and a large reason why they are 5-1."
Goff is just the fourth quarterback in NFL history with a passer rating of 140-or-higher in three consecutive games and is firmly in the MVP conversation with the way he's played over the last month.
Goff has complete command of Ben Johnson's offense and he's seeing the field as good as he has at any point in his career. He'll need to stay hot Sunday against a Titans defense that is much better than the team's overall record would indicate. Tennessee's defense ranks No. 1 in total defense (272.2) and No. 3 against the pass (166.7).
"This defense is as good as any we've played up to this point," Goff said Wednesday. "We know that. I'm not just blowing smoke. I know their record doesn't show that but it's a good defense and they are good at every level. We have our work cut out for us for sure."
The way Goff is playing right now, it doesn't really seem to matter who the opponent is or where the game is being played. Goff is currently second in the NFL in completion percentage (73.6), second in passer rating (111.5), second in passing yards per game (268.3) and third in 20-plus yard completions (23) among the league's signal callers. The Lions are getting MVP-caliber quarterback play right now and it's why they currently stand as the NFC's top team heading into Week 8.
View photos from Detroit Lions practice on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.
Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jake Fromm (18), Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions cornerback Khalil Dorsey (30) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaiah Williams (83) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman DJ Reader (98) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright (89) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Parker Hesse (43) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Chris Smith (90) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jermar Jefferson (28) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Pat O'Connor (95) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Jack Campbell (46) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Shane Zylstra (84) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions linebacker Mitchell Agude (50) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta (87) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Mekhi Wingo (94) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions quarterback Hendon Hooker (2) during practice at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on October 23, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
"Yeah, it's interesting. I guess I'm just not surprised, I guess is the best way to say it," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said this week of the heater Goff has been on the last month. "I hear these numbers and I'm just like, 'Yeah, he's playing good. He's a good quarterback.' So, I don't really see this like I'm blown away. I expect that from him.
"He's playing at a high level, he's a damn good quarterback, he's competitive, he's tough, and he's very accurate. Once again, when it's crunch time, the guy just – his heart rate just levels out. He doesn't get frazzled, and he makes big time plays for us. I'm glad he's with us. I'm glad he's ours."
