Jared

Goff

The three-score effort was Goff’s fourth of the season, while the interception was his first since his five-pick fiasco against the Texans four weeks ago. Locked in a tight battle, including trailing for large swaths of the second half, alleged front-runner Goff kept his wits about him even after a terrible third quarter INT allowed the Packers to go up 21-17 after trailing 17-7 at halftime. Spreading the ball around — six different Lions caught at least five passes — and employing tempo on many key downs, Goff played an effective, efficient point guard. All three of his scores came from inside the Packers’ three-yard line. Goff now has 10 days to rest up for a critical home test against the high-flying Bills.

Goff and the Lions were sharp early. Goff led them deep into Bears territory on the opening drive before settling on a Jake Bates field goal but then led a 10-play, 90-yard drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta. Goff would connect with LaPorta again on a one-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, but it was the only score the Lions would muster in the second half as the Bears tightened up their defense to muster a comeback. Goff didn’t turn the ball over in this one and took just one sack. He gets a full week of rest before returning next Thursday for a Week 14 game against the Packers in a game that could decide the NFC North. Goff will be a fringe QB1 next week.

Goff took three sacks and fumbled once, but the Lions recovered. As usual, Goff was not at his best on the road, but the Lions rode a grind-it-out rushing attack as they outlasted a Colts team that was feisty on defense but ineffective on offense. There’s really not much to say beyond that. Goff is now headed home for the Lions’ annual Turkey Day classic, but it is to face a Bears defense that continues to hold up despite the struggles on Caleb Williams’ side of the ball. That, coupled with the short-week turnaround make Goff more of a borderline QB1 option for Week 13.

Goff entered Week 11 on the heels of one of the worst games of his career. He tossed five interceptions in a nightmare win over the Texans on Monday Night Football. You wouldn’t know that by watching this game. He and the Lions embarrassed the helpless Jaguars on all fronts in Week 11. Goff posted the second-highest YPA of his career at 14.2 while conceding zero sacks or interceptions. He also picked up a perfect passer rating of 158.3. He had an astounding nine completions of 20 or more yards as the Jags simply had no answers for Amon-Ra St. Brown or Jameson Williams. Goff will ride the momentum to a QB1 ranking for his Week 12 matchup with the Colts.

The Lions struggled to get anything going in the first half and took a 23-7 deficit into the break. Things were far different as they came back out of the tunnel, with two key interceptions by Carlton Davis keeping the Lions in contention. They would eventually go on to outscore the Texans 19-0 in the second half to steal a victory from the clutches of defeat, with Goff doing just enough when it mattered most to send the Lions to a commanding 8-1 record to lead the NFC. It was the first time since 2012 when a quarterback threw five interceptions and their team won, when Matt Ryan’s five picks weren’t enough for the Cardinals to beat the Falcons. Up next for the surging Lions is a floundering Jaguars team in Week 11.

Goff completed 81.8 percent of his passes in a game that was not ideal for passing. Stuck in the middle of a downpour at Lambeau Field, the Lions leaned heavily on the ground game in Sunday’s win over the Packers, but Goff did manage to complete a three-yard touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown in the second quarter after St. Brown made the leaping grab to secure the grab on a pivotal fourth-and-three. Goff has completed 80 percent of his passes or better in each of his last three games, while throwing for six touchdowns over that span. He and the Lions get an exciting Week 10 tilt with the Texans on Sunday Night Football on NBC.

No surprises here as Goff was upgraded to a full practice on Thursday after being held out of Wednesday’s session. Goff had his ankle rolled on by a Tennessee defender early in Detroit’s Week 8. he played through the issue without any major problems despite having a noticeable limp at times. While he may be slightly less mobile than usual, Goff is good to go for Week 9. He will sit on the QB1/2 border for his matchup with Green Bay.

Goff’s leap from DNP on Wednesday to a full participant on Thursday is great for his Week 9 outlook. His ankle injury does not appear to be anything major at this time, and we’d expect him to be removed from the team’s injury report by Friday, barring any setbacks. Goff will be a high-end QB2 against the Packers if active.

True to his word, Goff returned to practice on Thursday just as he said he would. The Lions’ QB1 is dealing with an ankle injury but did not seem overly concerned about it when talking with reporters on Wednesday. His return to the practice field on Thursday is a good sign for his Week 9 outlook. We’d expect him to be active against the Packers barring a surprise setback.

Goff didn’t sound concerned when talking to reporters after the practice and noted that he expects to return to practice on Thursday. He rolled his ankle while being sacked early in the Lions’ Week 8 win over Tennessee. Goff managed to play through the issue despite limping on the field at times and being checked out by trainers between drives. He should be good to go by the end of the week, albeit with a bit less mobility in his game for Week 9.