The last time the 49ers faced the Lions was in Week One of the 2021 season and they got a 41-33 road win in Jared Goff’s first game with the Lions.
Goff had been acquired in a trade with the Rams during the offseason and many saw him as a placeholder for another quarterback, but he gave some hint about what was to come in his debut. Goff threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to a team he was familiar with from his time with the Rams and he’s spent most of his three seasons in Detroit showing that he’s a more capable quarterback than he was believed to be when he arrived.
49ers linebacker Fred Warner faced Goff that day as well as when he was with the Rams and he said on Wednesday that he thinks that Goff has been the driving force behind the Lions’ success this season.
“Not to say he wasn’t good when we played him back when he was with the Rams, but I think he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league right now with the way he finished, top three in passing yards this season,” Warner said, via the Lions website. “Just the delivery of the football, his decisiveness and obviously with the amount of playmakers he has on that side he’s the one that is leading that group and he’s the reason why they’re at where they’re at right now.”
If Warner and the Niners aren’t able to stop Goff and the Lions on Sunday, the linebacker probably won’t be the only one ranking the quarterback among the very best in the league.