The Detroit Lions racked up a franchise-record 15 wins this season and earned the first No. 1 seed in team history, but it was not enough to get the team past its first playoff game.
The Lions struggled on both sides of the ball in a 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in Saturday’s divisional-round game, sending the team into a long offseason with some potentially difficult questions. Those questions could include the future of quarterback Jared Goff, who struggled with turnovers in Saturday’s loss and placed blame on himself for the loss.
Can Lions Win With Jared Goff?
Goff had one of his worst games of the season against the Commanders, losing a fumble on a strip sack in the red zone and throwing three interceptions — including one that was returned for a touchdown.
After the game, Yahoo Sports columnist Dan Wetzel questioned whether the Lions might need to assess their future with Goff.
“Detroit has drafted wisely and seen Goff have a career resurgence; but are there limitations?” Wetzel wrote. “If he was going to throw four interceptions against Washington in the divisional round, was there really any chance he could piece together the level of play needed to win three times in the playoffs?
“And can that somehow be different next season, when Detroit should again be a contender, especially when Aidan Hutchinson and the defense returns?”
Wetzel concluded that Goff would need to be “a lot better” for the Lions to get over the hump and reach their goal of winning a Super Bowl and suggested the Lions may need to ask some hard questions over the offseason.
“Was this just a bad night, or the ceiling for him?” Wetzel wrote.
Jared Goff Blames Himself After Poor Outing
Speaking to reporters after the game, Goff placed some of the blame on himself for the poor decision-making.
“Just sucks,” Goff said, via NFL.com. “I wish I could’ve played a little better. Wish I could’ve taken care of the ball a little bit better. Obviously, the pick-six is really the one I’d really like back. That was just a poor decision by me. The other ones are just sometimes a part of the game. But yeah, it’s on me, I gotta take care of it better. Certainly, would’ve given ourselves a better chance to win had I done that.”
The Lions made a big commitment to Goff last offseason, signing him in May to a four-year, $212 million extension with $170 million guaranteed. But the team has also invested in the position, using a third-round draft on quarterback Hendon Hooker, who has developed behind Goff.
Though the Lions and head coach Dan Campbell have praised Hooker for his improvement over the last two seasons, they chose not to have him back up Goff in Saturday’s playoff loss. Hooker was inactive for the game, with the team instead putting veteran Teddy Bridgewater — who joined the team weeks ago after spending the season as a high school football coach — in when Goff was evaluated for a head injury during the game.
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