If Jared Goff is not able to come off the COVID-19 list in time, who would start under center for the Lions Sunday against the Falcons?
Fresh off their 30-12 win over the Arizona Cardinals, a real buzzkill came on Monday for the Detroit Lions with their placement of quarterback Jared Goff on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Goff has been one of the highest-rated quarterbacks in the NFL over the last month, which is quite a turnaround from early in the season.
Since he is vaccinated, Goff could clear the NFL’s revised virus protocols in ample time for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. But that is a legitimate question mark, and the idea he’ll miss the game is not a reach.
Who would start for the Lions if Goff can’t go vs. the Falcons?
During his Wednesday press conference, Lions head coach Dan Campbell talked about the quarterback situation.
DC says it’ll be either Tim Boyle or David Blough that will start vs ATL. . . won’t give us exact starter (laughs ensued after this answer). Boyle started one game this season at CLE. #Lions
— Dannie (@dannierogers___) December 22, 2021
Campbell doesn’t 100% commit to Tim Boyle starting if Goff stays on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Sounds like David Blough is a possibility.
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) December 22, 2021
With the obvious caveat of if Goff is unable to come off the COVID list, Campbell didn’t simply say Tim Boyle would start against the Falcons. With Goff out due to an oblique injury, Boyle started against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11 and didn’t look very good (15-for-23 for 77 yards, two interceptions).
No. 3 quarterback David Blough saw his only action of the season (four snaps) at the end of Week 8’s blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. But he has more experience than Boyle (not that it takes much), with five starts for the Lions in 2019 when Matthew Stafford was sidelined by a back injury. In those five games, all losses for Detroit, Blough had four touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 54 percent of his passes.
Campbell will choose from two bad backup options if it comes to that. But Boyle was once practically anointed as the No. 2 quarterback once he was able to return from a preseason injury, and that’s clearly not the case now. Blough is definitely an option to start if Goff can’t go on Sunday.