Detroit Lions: If Jared Goff succeeds in Motown, here’s how

If Jared Goff succeeds with the Detroit Lions, it’s because…

If at least three of the following things happen in 2021, I believe that Goff will end up not only being the “bridge” QB, but the QB that takes the Lions back to the playoffs and beyond within the next three years:

D’Andre Swift is indeed a beast

We saw flashes of it in 2020. Heck, we saw a lot more than just flashes. We saw a touchdown machine with every skill that a running back needs, who just needs some polishing (and to hold onto that ball!), and more opportunities.

Swift gained 878 yards from scrimmage and scored ten touchdowns on just ten touches a game. The new staff is clearly excited about him and talking about making No. 32 a true featured back in 2021. We’ve seen what Goff can do with a great running back to work alongside,

The defense gets cleaned up

As I’ve said numerous times, this is going to be a multi-year process. There are maybe three players from the current defense who should be starters in the NFL; finding their replacements will take time.

Goff probably isn’t the type of guy who can single-handedly keep his team in the game, so the D at least needs to rise up to adequate by 2022 if not “good” yet. Anything like we’ve seen the last two years on the other side, and he has no chance.

Goff cuts down on the turnovers

He’s thrown 29 interceptions over the last two seasons. That’s obviously way too many, but anyone who uses that stat to write him off already clearly wasn’t around for Matthew Stafford’s earlier years.

Through five seasons, Goff’s high in interceptions is 16; in Stafford’s first five years, when he was healthy he never threw less than 16 picks. Goff needs to mature and take care of the ball, but he’s hardly the hopeless turnover machine that the current perception of him implies.