The Detroit Lions are currently probably the hottest team in the NFL. This is also due to the top form of Jared Goff. Yet the quarterback was not planned as a long-term solution at all.

There are traditionally successful teams in the NFL. These include the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers. The Detroit Lions, on the other hand, are known for their lack of success.

In addition, they “burned” in the eyes of many the two Hall of Famer Barry Sanders and Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. Dick “Night Train” Lane also did not have a happy time with the Lions.

In 2023, however, everything seems to be different. The Lions have the best record in the entire league at 5-1. In fact, the Michigan franchise is the only team without a loss after 60 minutes. The only loss came against the Seattle Seahawks after overtime, when the Lions’ offense was not allowed to touch the ball.

But why are the Lions one of the strongest, if not the strongest, teams in the NFL or at least NFC this season? Besides Head Coach Dan Campbell and the defense, which has improved massively, it’s due to one thing in particular: quarterback Jared Goff.

There is no question that Goff has outstanding talent. It’s not for nothing – and many often forget this – that he was selected first overall by the Los Angeles Rams in 2016.

However, the burden on Goff’s shoulders was simply too great at the time. The Rams had just freshly moved back to Los Angeles and expectations for the then-young playmaker were higher than they already are as a first overall pick. “There was a lot going through my head at the time,” Goff said later. Too much, possibly.

Jared Goff: At career’s biggest moment, biggest setback

With Sean McVay as head coach, he reached the Super Bowl in 2018. And the team that averaged 30 points in the Regular Season only managed a measly three in that Super Bowl. Sure, against Bill Belichick, arguably the best defensive coach in NFL history, that can happen.

And there was more going wrong at the time than just the QB. But in the biggest moment of his career, Goff couldn’t deliver. Irreparable damage – as people suspected at the time – to his reputation and self-confidence.

After that, Goff couldn’t find his groove. His stats degenerated to average, and after the 2020 season, the Rams wanted him gone. And they let him know it. “Obviously, it’s not a great feeling,” Goff said. “When you’re not wanted anymore, obviously at some point it’s mutual. “

Jared Goff: From overthinker to doer

In exchange for Matthew Stafford, the now 29-year-old moved to the Detroit Lions along with draft picks. A transaction that would prove to be the best of his career to this day.

Even if it took him a bit of a start-up period. In 2021 and the first half of the 2022 season, Goff did not show any improvement. However, no one really held that against him. Many experts and fans alike saw him as a bridge quarterback who would lead the offense for two or three years before a promising rookie took over.

Not so, however, with the California native. Since game day nine of last season, he’s come up with a bearish 26 passing touchdowns and just three interceptions. Which gives him a so-called TD/INT ratio of just under nine. That’s outstanding. Not to mention there were 12 wins out of 15 games. Goff doesn’t think anymore, Goff just does his thing.

Possibly also because the expectations are different. Lions fans are – as silly as it may sound – used to disappointment, so no one seriously expected the 29-year-old of all people to lead them to the playoffs after twelve years of the Matthew Stafford era. That Stafford only managed to do so three times, one victory eluding him.

In Los Angeles, on the other hand, the people at a new old football venue were more than eager to get started. And even if they hadn’t been, Goff would have had the high expectations. “Giving football back to these people, that was the biggest thing. I didn’t want to disappoint them,” he revealed. But he didn’t make them sustainably happy either.

Detroit Lions: Ben Johnson, the mastermind in your ear

Analogous to McVay with the Rams, the quarterback now has an offensive mastermind in his ear with the Lions: offensive coordinator Ben Johnson designs and calls the Lions’ plays. Not that it takes anything away from Goff’s accomplishments, but there would definitely be offenses where it would be harder to look that good.

The numbers bear that out, too. Fourth-most points per game (28), third-most total yards (2,302), fifth-most passing yards (1,618) and seventh in fewest turnovers in the league (six). Plus a trick play or two that the Lions have had success with.

LET. BEN. COOK.CARvsDET FOX pic.twitter.com/V1lHuqYM0J

– Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 8, 2023

The 37-year-old connects well with his playmaker, who is only slightly younger. “He plays with an incredible amount of confidence and you can see that. We just try to put him in the best position to be successful,” Johnson said.

That those aren’t just empty words is also evident in the acquisitions the Lions have made not only for their team, but also for their offense and especially their quarterback. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Penei Sewell, Jameson Williams. All high profile names in some cases that have been drafted in recent years.

Detroit is not stuck in old-fashioned approaches, like the Pittsburgh Steelers or New England Patriots. Most importantly, they are putting together their offense not in spite of Goff, but for him. While the quarterback is undoubtedly the most important position on the field, he cannot succeed alone in the ultimate team sport of American football.

Jared Goff: The promising third year – parallels to the Rams era

Currently, Goff is one of the strongest performing quarterbacks in the league. Logically, he should be in the MVP race as well. In the categories of passes over 20 yards, passer rating, touchdowns, yards per pass, balls attached and passing yards, Goff is all over the top five.

How ’bout that Goffense pic.twitter.com/qrwuwSeA1b

– Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 18, 2023

The only reason so little is said about him is his reputation. If Patrick Mahomes – who, incidentally, is not ahead of Goff in any relevant category other than balls in bounds (absolute, not relative) – put up those numbers, they would be perceived differently. The fact that Goff won the head-to-head matchup away from home in week one (21-20 for Detroit) adds to that.

But maybe that’s not such a bad thing for the rather unassuming California Boy Jared Goff. And if parallels are to be drawn with his time in Los Angeles, one in particular stands out: as with the Rams, Goff is performing at his strongest in his third year. The offense is running like it’s oiled and with Ben Johnson in his ear, nothing can really go wrong.

Back then, as mentioned, the Rams went to the Super Bowl – and maybe Goff is the reason why Lions fans can have hope again after a long time.