Every week in the NFL is a quest for perfection that will never fully be realized no matter how well a team plays. It's both the frustrating and fun part about being a coach or player in this league.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff got about as close as one can get in Detroit's win over Seattle Week 4. His 18 completions were the most in NFL history for a player to finish a game with a 100 percent completion percentage.
"We did some things on Monday night that were – that's more what we're looking for, and so now that's the floor," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said this week. "How do we continue to play even better than that, how do we clean up some of the things that got us in trouble in that game? It wasn't all prefect, and so I think you just continue to strive that way and try to be – you're trying to play a perfect game – sure, Goff did."
Goff watched the film from the Seattle game and still saw missed opportunities, despite him not missing a throw all contest. Having a quarterback who is never satisfied is a good thing.
"In that game in particular, there's not going to be very many, maybe a couple that I'd like to have back, but yeah, always," Goff said Tuesday coming out of the bye week feeling rested and ready for a road matchup in Dallas Sunday.
"Always some that you're looking at, trying to improve on, 'Why didn't I see that? Why didn't I throw it there?' That game is no different."
The Seattle game was the first time this season Detroit's offense had both facets working harmoniously as Goff threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns, while the rushing attack ate up 116 yards (4.1 avg.) with three rushing scores. And Goff caught the first touchdown pass of his career, too.
"There are other games that I felt like I've played even better," Goff said. "We just had no incompletions which is rare. I felt good, but I've had games where I feel even better, and things are clicking even more. I think we can get there. We can do even better and continue to improve."
That's pretty scary to think about with how good Detroit's offense looked against the Seahawks.
Campbell has mentioned multiple times he thought it would take until around the bye week for the offense to really find its groove and take off. They might have beaten his prediction by a week scoring 42 points against Seattle and playing complementary football.
Goff was brilliant against Seattle and if he thinks there's even more potential for him and this offense, that should excite Lions fans as Detroit heads to Dallas Sunday trying to get a little payback for the loss at AT&T Stadium Week 17 last year.
"They're a good team, they're an NFC opponent, they're a contending team and a road win in their place means a whole lot," Goff said of Sunday's matchup vs. the Cowboys. "So yeah, we want to go in there and try to get a win."
Picking up where they left off offensively before the bye is a great way to help ensure that happens.
