Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell told reporters yesterday that quarterback Jared Goff is doubtful to play this Sunday in Seattle. A lingering knee injury is looking more and more likely to hold Goff out of his second straight game.
It looks like Campbell is going to be cautious in handling Goff’s return to avoid further harm to the quarterback. With the end of the season approaching, and the Lions long disqualified from postseason contention, we may have already seen Goff’s season finale in Detroit’s Week 15 upset of the Cardinals.
In his first season with the Lions, Goff was able to reproduce much of the statistical output from his lesser years in LA, but without the team success. Goff has averaged 231.3 passing yards per game, slightly under his 2017 season average of 253.6 yards per game. He threw 17 touchdowns to 8 interceptions, displaying the same discipline and accuracy he showed as a Ram. It seems the drastic drop of talent around him made for a difficult transition for the sixth-year veteran in terms of winning football games.
In his absence, Tim Boyle is expected to make his second-straight start and his third start of the 2021 NFL season. In his previous two starts, Boyle was able to keep the Lions largely competitive in a three-point loss to the Browns and a four-point loss to the Falcons. Boyle has relied on short and easy completions to move the offense. He’s completed an impressive 39 of 57 pass attempts (68%), but has only totaled 264 passing yards in two games. He’s also struggled to keep possession, throwing 3 picks to only 1 touchdown.
Boyle is expected to face off against a Seahawks’ defense that ranks last in the NFC in passing yards allowed, so it appears something has to bend. Either Seattle will provide a stout passing defensive performance uncharacteristic of this year or Boyle will have a career day for his statistical production.
If I were coaching the Lions I’d be cautious too. they are still in range of the number one draft pick. No need to jeopardize that!
but they will because that’s what they do.
They are pretty much certain to get #2. All they have to do is lose 1 of their last 2 games. Jacksonville isnt beating New England or Indianapolis.
Goff has turned out okay in Detroit. He’s not the quarterback to put your 4-12 team on his back and carry you to 10-6 and a wild card playoff exit, but he’s perfectly serviceable on an adequately stocked franchise.
Instead of wasting more draft talent on swapping quarterbacks around, Detroit should double down on lining the shelves on offense with linemen and receivers and TE’s. Detroit should aim for an exciting offense first and worry about defense next season, as the rebuild will take another two years at least. If Detroit doesn’t protect Goff and give him some playmakers, they’ll lose their investment in Goff leaving a third hold to fill, quarterback and five or six years away from a successful rebuild, not two or three.