To say that Lions’ starting Quarterback Jared Goff has had a rough couple of weeks, is a serious understatement. Goff’s sudden turnover-prone ways reached a new low with his three lost fumbles in the Lions’ 29-22 loss to NFC North rival, Green Bay. Goff’s sudden ball security issues is night and day to only having one interception and three fumbles, with one of them lost, over the first ten games of this season. While many of his critics are claiming that he is regressing to his Los Angeles Rams’ days, the statistics for Goff as a Lion paint a different picture.

In fact, since coming to the Lions in a blockbuster trade that sent fan-favorite Quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams, Goff’s improved play has been noticeable. Despite Goff’s horrible outing on Thanksgiving, through eleven games, he has thrown eighteen touchdowns against only eight interceptions. He has also thrown for over 3,000 yards.

Besides the three lost fumbles on Thanksgiving, Goff only has five fumbles for the season. Take away the Thanksgiving nightmare, we might be talking about Goff in a brand new light and how he led his Lions one step closer towards winning the NFC North for the first time since 1993.

Goff’s QB Rebirth Began Last Season

During his five years with the Rams, Goff threw for an impressive 18,171 yards. However, he was criticized for not delivering the clutch or making enough big plays. That conversation quickly changed during his first year with the Lions last season. Despite early season turnover woes, Goff, during the last ten games of the 2022-2023 season, clamped down on his turnovers and had displayed much improved decision-making.

As a result, and with great finesse, he managed to throw an impressive 29 touchdowns while only succumbing to seven interceptions out of 587 pass attempts throughout the season. This exceptional display resulted in the lowest interception percentage of his career, standing at a remarkable 1.2 percent.

Furthermore, he showcased remarkable composure by not throwing a single interception in Detroit’s final nine games. Alongside this feat, Goff’s leadership and performance led the Lions to a commendable 7-2 record, with his contributions including 15 touchdowns. And while the Lions’ playoff run fell short, it didn’t stop die-hard Lions fans from showing their support at NFL betting sportsbooks in Michigan that the Lions would win the NFC North in the 2023-2024 season.

In the concluding nine-game stretch of the season, Goff achieved an impressive Total QBR of 69.8, securing the second position and trailing only Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. Goff’s Pro Bowl year to wrap up last season shifted talk about him being a transitional Quarterback to perhaps the Lions’ long-term answer.

Goff’s Evolution as a Leader

One area of noticeable evolution and growth is Goff taking accountability for his woes. While head coach Dan Campbell didn’t explicitly place all the  blame on Goff, Jared has placed the blame on his shoulders and remains upbeat, something he often was criticized for not doing in his tumultuous tenure in Los Angeles.

In his conversation with 97.1 The Ticket on Tuesday, Goff emphasized that we have reached a pivotal moment, the homestretch. We do not allow ourselves to be swayed by the unpredictable fluctuations that the outside world often experiences. We are fully aware of our current position and the opportunities that lie ahead, and we are eagerly looking forward to traveling to New Orleans and delivering an exceptional performance.

In terms of personal accountability, Goff didn’t hesitate to criticize himself. Los Angeles Rams fans quickly fell out of love with Goff during his Rams tenure, because they felt he wasn’t tough enough to handle the rigors of an NFL starting Quarterback nor was he vocal enough, especially with the Rams ugly 13-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.

But as the undisputed Lions’ starting Quarterback, Goff didn’t hold back criticizing his own play. Goff went on to mention “my personal focus lies in securing the ball and avoiding being stripped while scrambling. This particular aspect will receive significant attention from me this week. Additionally, I may identify certain areas in my drop technique that tend to slip as the season progresses due to limited practice time. However, I make it a point to thoroughly review the game footage each week and devise an action plan to enhance my performance and strive for improvement in the following week.