Grading Jared Goff during the Detroit Lions three-game winning streak

The Detroit Lions are on a three-game winning streak, but what grade should quarterback Jared Goff get over the recent stretch?

The Detroit Lions won their third straight game when they went out to New Jersey in Week 11 and beat the previously 7-2 New York Giants in rather decisive fashion. They are now on the “in contention” NFC playoff graphics, at 4-6 heading into Thanksgiving Day against the Buffalo Bills. They also have the longest current win streak in the NFC.

Jared Goff has not been as prolific since a nice first four weeks of the season, when he had 11 touchdown passes and three interceptions. But he hasn’t had to be great for the Lions to win games lately, and that’s all that matters.

Here are Goff’s statlines during the Lions’ three-game winning streak.

Week 9 vs. Packers: 14-for-26 for 137 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 78.5 passer rating
Week 10 at Bears: 19-for-26 for 236 yards, 1 touchdown, zero interceptions, 113.6 passer rating; four carries for 14 yards
Week 11 at Giants: 17-for-26 for 165 yards, 0 touchdowns, zero interceptions, 83.0 passer rating

Total: 538 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 64.1 percent completion rate, 91.7 passer rating, one fumble (not lost)

Grading Jared Goff during the Detroit Lions’ winning streak

In the games against the Packers and the Giants, Goff was simply the quarterback who made fewer mistakes compared to his counterpart as the Lions’ defense carried the day. There’s nothing wrong with that being the case.

Goff having to carry an offense when it has to be in passing mode, or the ground game is ineffective, is simply not a formula to win very often. That was proven when he was with the Rams, and it’s been shown as the Lions have authored this current win streak.

Goff has acknowledged how he doesn’t “have to play perfect” if the defense can pick up the offense after a mistake. Over the last three games the mistakes from the offense, and most importantly Goff himself, have been few.

It might be nice if Goff was putting up gaudy numbers over this winning streak for Detroit. But big numbers for him and wins don’t have to correlate, and it’s a coinflip chance at best they will.

Wins either are or are not a suitable quarterback stat, depending on who you ask, the quarterback you’re talking about, etc. The Lions getting wins can’t be left out when determining Goff’s grade over the last three weeks, and it obviously helps.

Grade for Jared Goff during the Lions winning streak: B-