The NFL "script writers" could not have done much better for Wild Card Weekend. The juiciest matchup for storylines is the Los Angeles Rams facing the Detroit Lions, as each quarterback who were traded for each other in 2021 faces their former team.
Earlier this week, naturally, Lions quarterback Jared Goff dismissed the idea of a revenge angle for him facing the Rams and head coach Sean McVay during his appearance on 97.1 The Ticket.
But the game has to be personal for Goff. He wouldn't be human if it wasn't. McVay was the coach who determined he wasn't good enough to win a Super Bowl with, and now he's facing him in the playoffs against the quarterback McVay determined was good enough (and did win a Super Bowl with).
When Goff speaks publicly, it's never about the volume (in terms of number) or the veracity of the words. He's not going to say anything especially controversial, and he will often lean toward the expected cliches to not reveal anything meaningful on a topic (that last part is not meant as a harsh criticism). So sometimes, it requires focus on his words to reveal a reflection of how he feels.
Jared Goff can't hide the chip on his shoulder going into facing Sean McVay and the Rams in a playoff game
McVay has again expressed regret over how he handled Goff's departure. Not that Goff, as he showed previously, particularly cares about his former coach's regrets.
Goff clearly carried a chip on his shoulder upon being traded to the Lions. Does that chip still exist now? You bet it does.
"Of course," Goff told ESPN's Eric Woodyard. "I think it'll never leave me, and I think that's a good thing."
During his press conference Wednesday, Goff said he has admiration for McVay despite how things ended. He also delivered a loaded set of words as part of that admiration.
"Obviously, we had our differences there at the end, but he's a great coach....." Goff said of McVay. "He's a guy that taught me a lot."
Obviously we had our differences there at the end....
There's a lot in those words. Even as Goff is focused on the present and winning a playoff game for the city of Detroit, the idea of doing it against the Rams and the coach that didn't want him anymore has to mean a little more to him than beating any other team. That phrase shows it.
Despite the effort to set it aside, Goff ultimately can't hide the chip on his shoulder and the extra motivation he has ahead of facing McVay (and the Rams) in a playoff game.