The Detroit Lions walked into Kansas City with a 4-1 record and a chance to make a national statement on Sunday Night Football. Instead, they walked out with a humbling 30-17 loss, one defined by long drives, missed opportunities, and frustration in the red zone.
After the game, quarterback Jared Goff didn’t point fingers. He didn’t make excuses. He took ownership.
Jared Goff postgame comments vs Chiefs
“We’ve Got to Score — and We Didn’t”
For much of the night, the Lions moved the ball effectively between the 20s. The run game had moments of dominance, and the passing attack clicked in spurts. But when it came time to finish drives, Detroit stalled, settling for field goals or punting away opportunities.
Goff summarized it bluntly.
“I thought we moved the ball decently,” he said. “We were limited possessions certainly, and so were they on offense. We were both playing that game of long possessions, and when you play that game, you’ve got to score. You’ve got to finish them with touchdowns, and they did and we didn’t.”
The Lions’ first drive nearly ended with a trick-play touchdown that would’ve set the tone early, but an illegal motion penalty wiped out Goff’s score. Detroit settled for three instead of seven. That kind of sequence became the theme of the night.
Field Goals Aren’t Enough Against Mahomes
Goff acknowledged that when you face Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, efficiency isn’t optional; it’s essential.
“That first drive, getting the touchdown would have been nice,” he said. “Field goals are a consolation prize there.”
The Lions’ offensive rhythm sputtered in the second half. A couple of three-and-outs gave Mahomes too many chances, and Kansas City made Detroit pay.
Goff didn’t sugarcoat it.
“If you’re going to play that time-of-possession game, you’ve got to score at the end of them, and they did it more than we did.”
Goff Refuses to Blame Others
While fans and analysts zeroed in on the erased touchdown or the rare drop from Amon-Ra St. Brown on a crucial fourth-and-two, Goff wasn’t interested in excuses. He defended his teammates and emphasized accountability across the board.
“That never happens,” he said of St. Brown’s drop. “It’s something I know he wants back, but it’s not anything that we’ll think twice about.”
Even when asked about officiating confusion, Goff shifted the focus back to execution.
“It was a cool play that would’ve been fun to score on,” he admitted. “But that’s not the difference in the game. There were a ton of other plays that they made that we didn’t.”
Lions’ Offense Needs to Reclaim Its Edge
Despite the loss, Goff still saw positives. The run game found lanes, the protection mostly held up, and the offense moved the ball at will. The issue wasn’t moving the chains — it was finishing drives.
“We did run the ball well. I thought we threw the ball well at times,” Goff said. “Finishing those drives with touchdowns is what it came down to. They did it, we didn’t.”
That self-awareness has been part of what makes Goff such a steady leader. He knows Detroit’s offense has the talent to be elite — but Sunday night was a reminder that execution and discipline matter just as much as creativity.
The Lions won’t have to wait long for redemption. They return home in Week 7 for a primetime showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.
Goff knows this loss can serve as a wake-up call.
“You can learn from it and get better,” he said. “We’ve got another great opponent coming up in primetime again, and it’ll be another chance for us to come back and play a little bit better than we did.”