Should wins be considered a quarterback stat? NFL fans are generally mixed, but the fact remains that it is a stat attributed to QBs. For Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff, he can move one step closer to a very exclusive win-related club on Sunday.
Goff has never defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Lions leave Sunday with a win, the Steelers would become the 30th different franchise Goff has defeated in his NFL career. Goff previously defeated his 29th different franchise in Week 3 with a win over the Baltimore Ravens.
There are currently six QBs in NFL history to have defeated every possible team, and it's a who's who of QBs. Goff's childhood idol, Joe Montana, along with Fran Tarkenton, defeated the 28 NFL teams at the time. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Brett Favre defeated the 32 current franchises. All six QBs are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, or will be.
Earlier this season, Steelers' QB Aaron Rodgers failed to become the seventh QB to achieve this feat with his loss against his former team, the Green Bay Packers. Other active players at 31 are Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes, Los Angeles Rams Matthew Stafford, and New York Giants Russell Wilson. Mahomes only needs to beat his current team. Like Goff, Stafford also needs a victory over the Steelers. As for Wilson, he needs to defeat his former team, the Seattle Seahawks.
Buffalo Bills Josh Allen (Bills & Eagles), Kirk Cousins (Chiefs & Bengals), and Joe Flacco (Ravens & Seahawks) are the other active QBs with 30 different teams beaten.
Goff currently has a 0-1-1 record against the Steelers and remains the only franchise Goff has yet to throw a touchdown pass against. His first attempt came in 2019 in a 17-12 loss. His second attempt was in his first season with the Lions, which resulted in a 16-16 tie. Sunday's game will be the first time Goff plays the Steelers at home.
History will be against Goff as the Lions have not defeated the Steelers since the infamous coin toss game on Thanksgiving 1998. At the same time, the Lions also hadn't defeated the Cincinnati Bengals since 1992 before their Week 5 victory, so this could be another losing streak that falls in the Goff era.
When is the earliest Goff can defeat all 32 NFL teams?
A victory over the Steelers would put Goff two teams away from NFL history. From there, Goff would still need to beat the Bills and Miami Dolphins. Goff has a 0-3 record against both teams, with an average loss of four points against the Bills and 6.33 against the Dolphins.
Goff's most recent attempt against the Bills came last season, in a 48-42 loss that saw Goff throw for five TDs. Goff most recently played the Dolphins in 2022, where the Lions failed to score in the second half to fall 31-27. That Dolphins' loss was notable as the Lions would end that game with a 1-6 record. The Lions are 43-15 since then, and have not lost back-to-back games since, which is notable for Sunday, given the Lions are coming off a loss to the Rams.
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Goff won't have to wait long to face off against the Bills and Dolphins again. Assuming the Lions don't play either in the Super Bowl, both NFC East teams will be on the Lions' schedule next season. Both games will be on the road, which, for the Bills at least, might be an especially difficult one, depending on when that game is scheduled.
If Goff were to complete this feat next season, he would be by far the fastest to ever accomplish this at 31 or 32 years old. He'd likely have plenty of time to spare to accomplish this a second time, although that would require him to leave Detroit. He's only played against the Lions once, winning that 2018 game 30-16 in the "Goff has been figured out" game that formed the framework of the Patriots' Super Bowl LIII strategy against Goff and the Rams.
Becoming the seventh QB to defeat every possible team would be a remarkable feat for Goff in his great career. It may not make a Hall of Famer out of him, but it should help solidify his position among the great QBs outside of Canton for the time being. But that's plenty of steps down the road. The next step to getting there will be Sunday against the Steelers.