Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has openly recognized the team”s recent difficulties, aligning with assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery”s assessment that last week”s performance was a case of “Lions beating Lions.” Goff remarked, “If we”re able to not beat ourselves, absolutely. He”s right. We shot ourselves in the foot a few times there and ended up not being enough to win for sure.”
Looking ahead, Goff expressed optimism about the team”s resilience, stating, “It”s just kind of who we are, finding a way to bounce back and being resilient and playing well after losing a game or not playing well and responding the right way, practicing the right way today like we did today.”
Lions pass game coordinator David Shaw likened the offense”s performance to a basketball player who excels at three-point shots and layups but struggles with mid-range shots. Goff concurred, indicating, “It”s the fundamentals of some of the middle-of-the-road stuff that has been lacking.” As a seasoned player with a decade of experience, Goff acknowledged the challenge of a high sack count this season, stating, “You want to limit that as much as you can. I”ll try to get rid of the ball a little bit faster. That”ll help those guys, and I know they want to play better too.”
When asked about the adjustments needed along the offensive line, Goff recognized the difficulties but maintained confidence in the backups, saying, “We like those guys that”ll be filling in and we”ll be just fine.” He also discussed the necessity for opponents to respect their defense against interior pressure, noting, “If you don”t show you can stop that or anything for that matter, teams are going to keep trying you until you do show you stop it.”
The Lions have faced inconsistency on offense, particularly highlighted during their match against the Minnesota Vikings. Goff commented, “I don”t think it”s very difficult. It”s just everybody to themselves doing their job the way they”re supposed to do it.” He dismissed the notion of the team having a “bad day,” asserting, “I thought they played well. I thought we didn”t. We just didn”t play well enough times.”
As the Lions prepare to face the Washington Commanders, Goff acknowledged the toughness of the opposing linebackers, particularly praising Bobby Wagner”s long career and Frankie Luvu”s talent. Goff noted that while motivation from last year”s playoff defeat to the Commanders is present, the primary focus is on breaking their current losing streak. “More than that, we want to get off of a losing streak here and get a W,” he stated.
Historically, the last time the Lions suffered consecutive losses was in October 2022, during a stretch of five straight defeats. When queried about alternative strategies to counter interior pressure, Goff was straightforward: “No, you just got to block.” He also emphasized the importance of improving the screen passing game, highlighting the need for precise timing and practice repetitions: “Screens are hard to get. It”s hard to practice those because it”s hard to do it on like a full speed defense, but when you do get those reps in practice, making sure that the timing between the O line and my throw and our running backs and their landmarks all that matters a whole ton.”
Despite the current challenges, Goff pointed out that the offense ranks highly in scoring but falls short on third downs. He stated, “It”s just executing better. Running good routes, protecting well, and then me being accurate with the ball and putting the ball where it needs to be at the right time.” The Lions are expected to seek a turnaround against a depleted Commanders squad, which may be without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Kickoff is set for 4:25 PM.
