Jared Goff took a shot at Louis Riddick during his weekly radio appearance on 97.1 The Ticket.
The Detroit Lions quarterback was asked about a peculiar exchange with Commanders defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw during Sunday’s 44-22 victory over Washington. Kinlaw had jumped offside, been flagged for the penalty, and then got animated with Goff on the field despite openly admitting he had committed the infraction. Goff’s response to the question veered from Kinlaw’s bizarre behavior to the Daron Payne punch that happened earlier in the game, and then landed squarely on the ESPN analyst.
THR BROADCAST RIPS JAVON KINLAW FOR TRASH-TALKING WHILE GETTING DOMINATED.
“Makes no sense to me. You have literally done nothing … I have no idea why you’re talking trash”
Holyyy 💀💀💀
pic.twitter.com/wTgs0V2O14
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) November 9, 2025
“Yeah, he was… I don’t know. I don’t know what he was really saying,” Goff said. “He jumped offside, I told him he jumped offside. He said, ‘I know.’ I don’t know why he was so excited about jumping offside, but he was. I think that was before or after they punched St. Brown in the face, so I can’t wait to see Louis Riddick break that one down for us this week on Turning Point.”
Jared Goff on what was said between him and Javon Kinlaw on Sunday pic.twitter.com/chW34ayJvj
— 97.1 The Ticket: (@971theticketxyt) November 11, 2025
The reference to Riddick stems from a video NFL Films posted on social media in mid-October analyzing the Lions’ loss to Kansas City. The segment focused on safety Brian Branch and the fight with Chiefs receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster that resulted in Branch’s ejection late in the game. Rather than simply providing context for what happened, Riddick’s narration spent considerable time cataloging every mistake Branch made throughout the contest before the altercation, painting a picture of a player whose poor performance led to his eventual breakdown.
“It was a long game for Lions safety Brian Branch, number 32,” Riddick said in the video. “He got burned by (Travis) Kelce’s basketball move. He got showed up by (Patrick) Mahomes. He got juked by Xavier Worthy and took a shot from JuJu Smith-Schuster. The turning point led to Branch’s boiling point.”
Nah, nah, nah. You don’t get to put the toothpaste back in the tube, NFL.
Here’s their weird-energy video insulting Brian Branch. pic.twitter.com/8wkqibeHKB
— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) October 16, 2025
The video drew immediate backlash from Lions fans who felt NFL Films was piling on Branch rather than offering meaningful analysis. Several Lions players also voiced their frustration with the segment on social media. The criticism grew loud enough that NFL Films deleted the video entirely, and both the production company and Riddick felt compelled to issue public statements addressing the controversy.
Riddick wrote on social media that he had “nothing but respect” for the Lions organization and emphasized that there was “NEVER an intent to do a ‘hit piece’ on anyone or any team.” He acknowledged that the clip “could be taken as an attempt to cast the #Lions or Brian Branch in a calculated, unfavorable manner.” He promised that anything with his name attached to it would “never again leave room for it to be interpreted that way in the future.”
The punch Goff referenced in his dig at Riddick happened in the second quarter Sunday after Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored on a 13-yard touchdown run to extend Detroit’s lead to 22-3. As Lions players began walking back toward their sideline following the score, Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne approached Amon-Ra St. Brown and punched him directly in the facemask. Officials immediately ejected Payne from the game, and the NFL followed up Monday by suspending him one game without pay. When Payne appealed the suspension, hearing officer Ramon Foster upheld it Tuesday, meaning Payne will miss Washington’s Week 11 game against Miami in Madrid.
As a leader of Washington’s defense, Daron Payne should know better than to throw a punch on the field. He should be suspended. There is no place for this in sports. pic.twitter.com/A5YMmmyrZ0
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) November 9, 2025
Payne’s teammate, Javon Kinlaw, defended him after Sunday’s loss, making a specific claim that St. Brown had actually thrown the first punch two plays earlier and that officials standing right there had seen it happen but chose not to flag the Lions receiver.
“I just felt like in the moment we were being cheated, to be honest,” Kinlaw said. “Daron only retaliated because the refs literally saw the first punch, you know what I’m saying? I don’t blame him for the way he reacted and tempers got to flying.”
Asked directly if he saw St. Brown hit Payne first, Kinlaw doubled down. “Yeah, for sure, and they did too. That sh*t was some bullsh*t, 100 percent.”
Javon Kinlaw says he saw Amon-Ra St. Brown throw the first punch at Daron Payne before Payne threw the punch that got him ejected
“Yeah, for sure & they (the refs) did too. Sh*t, it was some bullsh*t”
Kinlaw had an unsportsmanlike penalty on the play as well #Commanders @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/eYxXpm3wNu
— John Doran (@JohnDoranTV) November 10, 2025
St. Brown acknowledged there had been an earlier confrontation between the two players but offered a much different characterization of what transpired.
“I mean, I think two plays before that, we got into a little scuffle, back and forth, whatever, this, that, and the other,” St. Brown said. “And then we end up scoring, and I go up to him. I say a little something, nothing crazy, and then he decides to swing on me, so, I mean, it is what it is.”
For several days, there was no video evidence to support Kinlaw’s version of events. The broadcast angles clearly captured Payne’s punch, but didn’t show whatever happened during the earlier play Kinlaw was referencing. That changed Tuesday afternoon when NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay posted footage on social media that vindicated Kinlaw’s account.
Here’s the video of Amon-Ra St. Brown swinging on Daron Payne a few plays before Payne swung back and got ejected. This tells the other side of the story. pic.twitter.com/M7jUH9zcGr
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) November 11, 2025
Now that a video surfaced showing St. Brown actually throwing the first punch, Goff’s request for a Turning Point breakdown probably isn’t something he wants anymore. Not that it matters — after the Branch video got deleted and Riddick had to apologize, he’s not going near another Lions story anyway.