Matthew Stafford vs. Jared Goff: A tale of two very different seasons
By Robert Jones
The Lions need a quarterback who can save them
Goff won in Los Angeles and was a key part of their drive to Super Bowl LIII. That was the pinnacle of his career. Then the Rams actually showed up at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and it’s been all downhill for Goff since.
There were those who blamed Stafford for all the Lions’ problems. He wasn’t perfect in Honolulu Blue, but the team around him was not very good on a regular basis. For those who have dumped all of Detroit’s shortcomings on Stafford’s shoulders, he is proving what he can do when surrounded by a talented team with good coaching.
Goff was in the same situation just last year, however, he turned the ball over far too often. Now here he is in Detroit with the least amount of talent that has ever surrounded him and is anyone really surprised he hasn’t had this rebirth that some thought he might?
The Lions are a bad team with little to work with at receiver and injuries all along the offensive line. It’s a no-win situation. If Stafford was still a Lion this would still be another lackluster season, but they wouldn’t be winless right now and he would have found a way to make some plays deep down the field.
The difference is right there. After all the bad teams Stafford has played on and carried in Detroit, how could he not excel in a situation like the Rams? Goff was regressing before he was unceremoniously kicked to the curb by Rams head coach Sean McVay.
If the Lions had a better team would Goff be playing better? The last two seasons he did nothing but check down to short passes and turn the ball over. Meanwhile, like a football-swashbuckling Errol Flynn, Stafford isn’t afraid to throw the ball all over the field.
There is little comparison that can be made between Stafford and Goff. Even on a good team Stafford still carries the Rams when he has to. Goff seems to be waiting for someone to save him. Like throwing a two-yard pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson and hoping he will carry it 50 yards to paydirt.
This is the Lions we’re talking about. They need a quarterback who can save them. Not one searching for rescue.