Lions quarterback Jared Goff gets nice praise coming off fine 2022 season

Jared Goff had a nice second season with the Detroit Lions, and he’s gotten some outside praise for his efforts.

Detroit Lions players (and fans) are happy offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has decided to stay, rather than complete all three of the head coaching interviews he had scheduled. But if someone were at the top of the list, it would surely be quarterback Jared Goff.

Goff and Johnson were in sync as quarterback and play-caller all season, and it showed as Goff rebounded from a couple rough seasons and had one of the best seasons of his career (4,438 yards, 29 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 99.3 passer rating). He did not throw an interception after Week 9, and he’ll carry the fifth-longest interceptionless streak in NFL history (324 pass attempts) into next season.

Goff is virtually locked in as the Lions’ starting quarterback in 2023, though beyond that is still a question.

Jared Goff gets some outside praise after his fine 2022 season

Marc Sessler of NFL.com ranked starting quarterbacks 1-32 after the 2022 regular season. Goff came in at No. 8.

"Previously viewed as a milquetoast fill-in, Goff’s perception-changing campaign saw him light up the enemy for 29 touchdowns and nearly 4,500 yards — against just seven picks. He’ll miss his share of throws, but most Sundays showed off a passer who avoided big mistakes and refused to shy away from aggressive shots downfield. Goff looked the part inside an offense that finished fifth in DVOA, third in total yards and fifth in points. His miniscule interception percentage (1.2%) was powered by a nine-game stretch run that saw him fling 15 touchdowns and zero picks. Don’t expect the Lions to toss him aside."

With an analytics tilt, ESPN made a list of the 100 most valuable players in the NFL for the 2022 season (subscription required). Goff landed at No. 15, albeit as the eighth quarterback behind some of the top-tier guys at his position in the league. Quoted passage via Pride of Detroit.

"Goff finished the season fifth in QBR and led an offense that ranked third in EPA per dropback, only behind the Chiefs and Bills,” Walder wrote. “And he did it without a lot of help from teammates. His offensive line was average in pass protection, and while Amon-Ra St. Brown was very good, the Lions’ receiving group wasn’t particularly impressive as a whole.”"

Amon-Ra St. Brown (No. 43) and Aidan Hutchinson (No. 80) also made ESPN’s top-100 list. But Goff’s placement in the top-15 is a testament, and the top-10 ranking on NFL.com, is a testament to how good a season he had. That it was noticed by outside outlets is also a testament to the team’s success, as Goff didn’t toil in losing obscurity all season.