The Detroit Lions' Week 11 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles pointed out a hole in Jared Goff's game. Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter combined for 5 tipped passes, haunting the quarterback and exposing a clear issue in his delivery. This was furthered by the fact that the Eagles saw this problem coming and prepared in practice for the Lions by emphasizing the need to attack at the line of scrimmage, as it was noticeable they would have opportunities based on tape.
This revelation came courtesy of an ESPN report that made it clear what happened wasn't simply an off week or by chance. Philadelphia exposed a potential hole in Detroit's offense and left the Lions no choice but to address the issue. However, fans won't be encouraged by Goff's response, with the quarterback appearing underwhelmed by the idea of there being an issue.
Goff's comments were reported by 97.1 The Ticket, with the quarterback offering, “I consider that an outlier.” This was in response to being questioned about whether or not the starter was concerned with the batted passes against the Eagles. Twice, Goff pointed out that the issue was an "outlier" that wasn't an obvious concern moving forward.
Jared Goff Brushes Off Batted Passes Despite Concerning Comments
The problem with the quarterback being this unconcerned by the batted passes is that the Eagles have now exposed a flaw that other teams will attack. The ESPN report detailed that Philadelphia practiced for this all week, knowing that the angle of Goff's throws would give them a chance to wreak havoc. While not every defensive line can offer the instincts of Carter and Davis, it is a very replicable strategy.
One that could continue to haunt the quarterback if he doesn't slightly alter his delivery. Another aspect of this odd response is that you'd hope Goff was a bit more concerned about what was easily the worst game of his season. The offense only scored 9 points, and the starter was unable to complete 40% of his passes.
Add in an ugly interception, and there should be every reason for Goff to have a sense of urgency to find ways to improve. Opting to brush off this glaring concern with such a lack of interest is concerning on its face.
While you don't want your franchise leader to be negative, there is a balance between being dismissive and overly concerned. There is no debating that the Eagles are the best defense the Lions have faced this season, and they presented a special challenge.
However, this doesn't excuse Goff from simply shrugging off a mortifying performance and not at least attempting to make obvious adjustments. If the game film wasn't enough, Eagles players openly exposed a fatal flaw they took advantage of. Being willing to point this out shows zero fear of facing Detroit in the future.
Something that should serve as bulletin board material, ideally inspiring a bit of change from Goff. Leaving no question that if the quarterback has another rough week, the noise will continue to grow after an underwhelming response.
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