The Detroit Lions had their first defeat of the season on Sunday, September 15, when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 20-16. For a team that’s a favorite to go far in the postseason, even one early loss can seem like a heartbreak, but Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff says he and the team are ready for their game Sunday, September 22, against the Arizona Cardinals.
Jared Goff: ‘We Do Respond’
Speaking in the locker room on Wednesday, September 18, Goff was asked how much confidence he has in the ability for the Detroit Lions to bounce back.
“A ton,” Goff replied. “That’s kind of what we’re built for, is responding. We’ve got another really good team we’re playing again this week with Arizona and on the road. It’ll be a tough environment and a tough game to win, but we’ll be geared up.”
When asked about the team’s resilience, Goff said, “I do think it’s part of our identity and part of who we are.”
Goff pledged to “respond,” stating, “It starts with Dan (Campbell) and hopefully trickles down through all the leaders and the captains, but we do respond. We always do, and you never hope to lose two in a row, but I think what we’ve done over the last two years, like you said, is respond in those situations and hopefully do it again this week.”
When asked if Goff has any worries about the offense and “not being able to finish drives,” Goff said, “No, I think that’s uncharacteristic of us. I really do.”
He added, “We were able to move the ball. We had quite a few yards. I have to do a better job of taking care of the ball on some of those situations and keep us on the field. Not put the ball in harm’s way, but overall, we did move the ball pretty well and I think building off that will be the way we want to go this week.”
Improving in the Red Zone
In a September 18 feature about the Detroit Lions’ red zone efficiency, NFL analyst and expert Colton Pouncy of The Athletic studied the team’s red zone plays “to determine how close the Lions really are to getting back on track.”
Some good news for Lions fans is that after watching the Lions vs. Bucs game on tape, Pouncy said he “came away somewhat more encouraged.” During the game, the Lions recorded 463 yards of offense, which he noted is “hard to do, and remains an encouraging sign for the future.”
Pouncy also assessed the team’s play-calling and said he felt the Lions were “overthinking things” early on.
“On the very first red-zone series, they threw it three times and ran it once. The plays to get Gibbs in space in the passing game weren’t working against a defense like Tampa Bay’s, which is disciplined and sound,” he wrote. “That’s where you might just have to lean into what you do best and run the ball.”
Pouncy concluded that, “All this to say, a lot is fixable. Let things play out.”
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