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- Mar 19, 2019
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When the Lions chose to trade quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Rams, one key piece of the deal was acquiring quarterback Jared Goff.
Detroit General Manager Brad Holmes was Los Angeles’ director of college scouting when Goff was taken at No. 1 overall, so he’s as familiar as anyone in the league with the 26-year-old quarterback.
The common perception is that Goff’s been declining since helping the Rams reach Super Bowl LIII, but Holmes sees things differently. Especially with an offensive line that now includes No. 7 overall pick Penei Sewell, Holmes feels Goff can continue to perform well in Detroit.
“I know that Dan [Campbell] and [offensive coordinator] Anthony Lynn will have the right system in place and they know Jared and they know what he does well,” Holmes said via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I think that is a big part of it. And there’s a lot of things that people say, ‘Well, can Jared get back to what he used to be?’ That’s like, oh, I mean the guy, the past four years, he’s been in postseason three of the past four years and one was a Super Bowl appearance. And the last time you saw the guy play a game was in a divisional playoff game where he completed over 70 percent of his passes with a broken hand. So it’s like, I mean, I don’t get that part of it. But again, it is what it is.”
All of those things Holmes cited are true. Plus, Goff’s 42 wins as a starting quarterback since 2017 are second to only Tom Brady‘s 47.
However, Goff leads the league with 38 turnovers in 31 starts over the past two seasons, which is a big part of why the Rams were ready to move on. He threw for 3,852 yards in 2020 with 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions — his fewest TDs since tossing just five in his rookie year.
In order for the 2016 No. 1 overall pick to continue winning, the Lions will have to figure out a way for him to cut down on the interceptions and fumbles.