A vote of confidence for Jared Goff?
For 12 seasons Matthew Stafford was Detroit’s most polarizing athlete. Many fans supported him, while others believed he was the root of all the Lions’ problems.
In truth, when Matthew played well the Lions had a chance to win. In games he struggled then victory was almost assuredly out of reach.
Matthew Stafford was the straw that stirred the drink. In essence, every week he had to either carry the Lions to victory, with little to no help, especially on defense, or Detroit would lose. It was really that simple.
This did create additional criticism from some but considering that the whole Detroit Lions franchise was built on that very premise that it’s all on Matthew’s shoulders, then he was set up for failure week after week, year after year.
What Matthew accomplished in Detroit under the circumstances he was given was actually pretty impressive when we consider how little the franchise did to build a complete team that could actually compete for titles.
Now as we turn the page Jared Goff is stepping up to center stage and with Stafford gone, Goff may now be the most polarizing athlete in the Motor City. Luckily Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have a different philosophy. One that believes in building both sides of the ball and having special teams that can be special.
It won’t happen overnight but the Lions have a pretty good start. Holmes and Campbell have a vision that is sharply focused on two years down the road. This is how they quantify their building process. Should they attain the championship-contending status they hope for, it will be useful in maximizing that window.
However, two years down the road isn’t a long way in the NFL. So that means as they build their contender they will want to make sure they have their quarterback of the future on the roster to lead them in the championship chase.
As the debate goes, is it Jarred Goff or someone else? This past week Goff said that it was a vote of confidence that Holmes chose to build on the offensive line by selecting a phenomenal talent rather than scooping up a passer.
In a way, it was a vote of confidence. However, maybe not as much as Goff would like to think.