Despite earning the first-ever No. 1 seed and setting a franchise record with 15 wins this season, the Detroit Lions were unable to go past their opening playoff game. In Saturday’s divisional-round game against the Washington Commanders, the Lions labored on both sides of the ball and lost 45-31, throwing the franchise into a protracted offseason with some potentially challenging problems. The future of quarterback Jared Goff, who battled with turnovers in Saturday’s loss and blamed himself for it, may be one of those doubts.
Jared Goff and the Lions Win?
Against the Commanders, Goff had one of his worst performances of the season. He threw three interceptions, including one that was recovered for a score, and lost a fumble on a strip sack in the red zone. Dan Wetzel, a columnist for Yahoo Sports, asked after the game if the Lions might need to evaluate their future with Goff.
Goff has had a career comeback and Detroit has made a smart draft choice, but are there any restrictions? It was written by Wetzel. Was there really any possibility he could put together the kind of play required to win three times in the playoffs if he was going to throw four interceptions against Washington in the divisional round? “And is there any chance that this won’t be the case next season, when Detroit ought to be a contender once more, particularly with Aidan Hutchinson and the defense back?” Wetzel came to the conclusion that in order for the Lions to overcome their setback and achieve their goal of winning a Super Bowl, Goff would need to be “a lot better.” He also stated that the Lions might need to ask some tough questions during the offseason.
“Was this the ceiling for him, or was it just a bad night?” It was written by Wetzel.
Jared Goff Takes Responsibility for His Bad Performance
In an interview with reporters following the game, Goff admitted that he was partially to responsible for the bad choices. Goff stated, via NFL.com, “I wish I could’ve played a little better. I wish I could’ve taken care of the ball a little bit better. Of course, the pick-six is the one I’d really like back. That was just a poor decision by me. The other ones are just sometimes a part of the game. But yeah, it’s on me, I gotta take care of it better. Certainly, would’ve given ourselves a better chance to win had I done that.” The Lions made a significant commitment to Goff the previous offseason, signing him in May to a four-year, $212 million extension with $170 million guaranteed.
