The Detroit Lions have enjoyed a solid run of success from the second half of the 2022 season until now, and it's had plenty to do with the play of quarterback Jared Goff.
After a clunker of a 2021 season, Goff has turned things on impressively, leading the Lions to offensive numbers they hadn't seen in years. The club has proven to have the firepower to put up points with consistency even as their defense has struggled at times. That has translated to big wins and plenty of success on the field. He's been praised by pundits and fans as a result.
But if there's been one area where Goff has still lacked a bit, it's comeback wins. Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis recently analyzed the best quarterbacks in the league in terms of forging come-from-behind victories. Goff was a lower-half-of-the-pack quarterback, ranking 21st with just a plus-0.04 rating.
Perhaps the biggest reason Goff has middling numbers as a comeback artist is the fact that he hasn't trailed in games as much. When Matthew Stafford, who is still tops on this clutch list, was Detroit's quarterback, the team played from behind consistently and he was forced to put together comebacks. Goff has certainly played from ahead more than Stafford ever did in Detroit.
Still, it shows that Goff has room to grow. Five of Detroit's eight losses last season were by single digits. That means that Goff had plenty of opportunities to get the Lions over the hump and couldn't get it done. Week 16 against the Pittsburgh Steelers encapsulated this frustration, with the Lions driving late and unable to get in the end zone for a victory due to sloppiness.
Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions have major room for growth in comeback situations
Last year, Goff didn't have as good of a season as he has in the past in terms of wins and losses. The Lions went 9-8 and finished in last place thanks to missed opportunities. While that was the case, Goff also piled up counting stats, finishing second in passing yards (4,564) and touchdowns (34), which made the year a bit of a paradox.
No matter what happened, though, Lions quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell has faith that Goff is more motivated than ever to turn things around. He admitted Detroit's quarterback is attacking things with a new perspective this year and has looked at all the mistakes that both he and the offense have made with an eye on intended fixes.
"It was last year, and we've moved past that," Brunnell stated during minicamp. "We've done the self scout. We've looked at all the plays from last year, things we could have done better, situations that we were in that we could have [handled] better, but at some point you have to move on.
"I think this spring, this whole team, offense and defense, special teams, we are looking forward. I know it's brought up about last year, but honestly, I think this team and the coaches, all of us, we're thinking about this upcoming season and we have learned from our mistakes last year. Now it's time to go forward and get ready for the [New Orleans] Saints."
If some of Detroit's luck evens out or their defense shows even modest signs of improvement, the Lions may not have to play from behind much again. If they do, it's possible Goff simply finds a way to make a few more plays in the clutch than he did last year. Football can be a tantalizing game of inches in this respect.
Either way, the Lions could use more magic from Goff when they trail in the fourth quarter. If they can get even a modest improvement in that department, they may be impossible to slow down.
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