Lions fans shouldn’t compare Jared Goff to Matthew Stafford

Goff is probably already one of the Lions best passers

Jared Goff may not be a transcendent athlete, but he has won in the NFL. He has contributed to a team that made a run to the Super Bowl and he has more playoff victories to his name than the entire Detroit Lions franchise since their last championship in 1957.

Goff’s three postseason wins certainly isn’t a record but compared to a franchise that only has one playoff win in 63 years, it’s the direction this franchise wants to go.

Now Goff needs to remain focused and determined to prove the Rams wrong because that gives him his best opportunity along with a revamped Lions rushing attack to maximize his abilities under the current circumstances in Detroit.

The truth is that Goff probably already ranks among the best quarterbacks to play for the Lions.

That seems to be an odd thing to say coming off the Matthew Stafford era, but while comparing Goff to Stafford is futile, let’s compare him to the other passers we’ve seen in Detroit.

Think about the likes of Joey Harrington, Scott Mitchell, Erik Kramer, Andre Ware, Chuck Long, Eric Hipple, and Gary Danielson to name a few. This has not exactly been a position of strength for the Lions.

The tale of former Lions’ passers remains one of inconsistency. Part of that can be blamed on the franchise, but for the most part, it has to do with the fact that Matthew Stafford is the only franchise quarterback Detroit has seen since Bobby Layne.

For everyone tempted to compare Goff to Stafford, it is these other passers from Detroit’s past to which Goff should be compared. While Goff may not be the long-term solution, he has enough talent to do more for the Lions under Dan Campbell than many of his predecessors accomplished whether due to talent or circumstances.

Goff has proven he can win given some talent around him. The receivers are a concern and Tyrell Williams, Breshad Perriman, as well as Quintez Cephus, and Amon-Ra St. Brown, need to step up, but the rushing attack is on the rise behind an improving offensive line and even an average year defensively will make the Lions more competitive.

Jared Goff won’t look like Matthew Stafford and the Lions’ final record this fall may not be too impressive, but given some help, Jared Goff could make the Honolulu Blue and Silver more competitive than we expect.