One area of the Detroit Lions' offense has felt off this entire season, and it has nothing to do with the quarterback they currently employ.
Detroit's inability to string together any consistency with their offensive line has completely hamstrung their running game, as well as Jared Goff's ability to appear in control of what is still, the leading scoring team in the NFL.
A lack of pass protection and run blocking has also hampered David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs' ability to game-wreck, potentially ruining Montgomery's relationship the Lions overall.
The Lions cannot afford to sacrifice not only Montgomery's time with this team, but Goff's. Repeating the mistakes of Matthew Stafford's past with this squad would just help reignite the same old pessimism that had been seemingly washed off the field back in 2023.
Detroit must fix offensive line woes for Jared Goff's sake
Goff is not known to thrive under pressure. A fantastic pocket passer, Goff has dealt with a ton of pressure over the last few weeks, which has left him operating from a moving platform from which to perform. Regardless, he's actually pieced together an incredible season, despite so many losses.
32 passing touchdowns and just five interceptions on the year, in addition to 4,036 passing yards, just feels like a classically great year from your franchise quarterback. And yet, Detroit is just barely hovering above .500.
Wins aren't necessarily a quarterback stat, although that debate will rage on for time immemorial. But, Goff truly has done more than enough this season to lead this Lions offense into the best situations from which to thrive. Same for Gibbs and Montgomery, at least whenever they're utilized.
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Their usage has gone down, though, as a result of a lack of trust in the offensive line's ability to get any push or lanes. Hindering Detroit's ability to be explosive where they tend to explode - their backfield - has impacted Goff, as the team looks to use him more to create yardage with his arm and against numerous blitzes.
Detroit knows where their weaknesses are. Their IOL has been a mess this entire season outside of rookie guard Tate Ratledge, and Taylor Decker has been dealing with Father Time working against him and his shoulder. Fixing these issues in the offseason will not be an inexpensive task, but likely one that involves major scouting from general manager Brad Holmes ahead of the NFL Draft.
Goff is under contract for another three seasons with Detroit, and the team's Super Bowl window is still wide open in the NFC. Their ability to take advantage of that window with a healthy Goff has everything to do with how they address their impending cap issues and offensive line issues in 2026. To avoid repeating history, Detroit has to do right by Goff, first and foremost.