Jared Goff showing he can be the right man for the job in Detroit

Through four weeks, Jared Goff is outplaying a lot of quarterbacks–including his predecessor under center in Detroit.

Jan. 31, 2021 will live eternally in the minds of Lions fans. It ranks right up there with the unexpected retirements of Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson. That day of course was the day the team agreed to trade franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Jared Goff, two first-round picks and a third-round pick.

Initially, Lions fans seemed pleased with the return new Lions general manager Brad Holmes got in the deal. But pleasure quickly turned to anger/frustration as Stafford went on to lead a stacked Rams’ team to a Super Bowl win in his first season with them.

While his counterpart was leading the Rams to a Super Bowl, Goff had his fair share of struggles on a rebuilding team. The Lions signal caller did finish the 2021 season strong though, with a 107.1 passer rating over his last five starts to put him among the best in the league in that category over that stretch.

The Rams are the defending champions, and the Lions are thought of as an up-and-coming team unlikely to compete for at least another year. Through four games the Lions own a 1-3 record, but the worst defense in the league has been the primary culprit.

Jared Goff vs, Matthew Stafford, by the numbers (through Week 4)

Note: Yahoo! fantasy scoring unless noted otherwise

Matthew Stafford

Week 1: 29-for-41, 240 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions–10.8 fantasy points

Week 2: 27-for-36, 272 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions–20.88 fantasy points

Week 3: 18-for-25, 249 yards, zero touchdowns and zero interceptions–10.16 fantasy points

Week 4: 32-for 48, 254 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception–7.76 fantasy points

Season: 106-for-150 (70 percent), 1,015 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions, 49.6 fantasy points 

Jared Goff       

Week 1: 21-for-37, 215 yards, two touchdowns and one interception–16.5 fantasy points

Week 2: 20-for-34, 256 yards, four touchdowns and one interception–26.04 pts

Week 3: 25-for-41, 277 yards, one touchdown and one interception–14.88 pts

Week 4: 26-for-39, 378 yards, four touchdowns and one interception–34.22 fantasy points

Season: 92-for-151 (60.9 percent), 1,126 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions–91.64 fantasy points

Stafford’s throwing elbow is probably not fully healthy, which has surely played a role in his struggles thus far. But Goff is outplaying him, and plenty of other quarterbacks around the league, through four weeks.

Goff has become a solid fantasy starter until futher notice, while Stafford is bench material with only his name to create a question mark there right now. Stafford’s name value may allow his fantasy managers to cash out in a trade sooner rather than later, perhaps for Goff and another player.

Not only has Goff drastically outplayed Stafford so far in 2022, but the draft picks acquired in the trade (including an extra first-round pick again next April) are setting the Lions up nicely.

The Rams clearly won Year 1 of the trade. Goff is doing all he can to prove he can stick around as the Lions’ longer-term answer under center through four games though, while also happening to clearly outplay his predecessor in Detroit right now.