A good chunk of the NFL world has eyes on the Detroit Lions thanks to their 8-2 finish in 2022 and an offseason filled with not just big, but important, decisions that will certainly factor into the anticipated playoff push in 2023. 

The Lions just missed the playoffs last year at 9-8 and it was the 37-23 loss to the Carolina Panthers in M&T Bank Stadium that ended hopes of a postseason berth. Goff's play factored into the loss, even if his final stat line looked like it was a good day.

Goff got off to a hot start that day and helped the Lions find the end zone on their first drive of the game. He was the catalyst behind the touchdown, completing four of his six pass attempts for 59 yards and the aforementioned touchdown. Goff hit three different receivers on that drive, including a 39-yard completion to D.J. Chark on 3rd and 10 that really got things moving.

Goff quickly cooled off, however, and was very ineffective for the next two quarters before playing catch-up over the final 20ish minutes of the game. In-between the Lions' first touchdown drive of the game and the start of the first touchdown drive in the third quarter, Goff's stat line was a miserable 7-of-12 for 78-yards that also included a momentum-changing fumble (by Goff) at the Panthers 8. 

Once the Lions got the ball back down 31-7 and with 6:21 left in the third quarter, Goff went on a tear and completed 14-of-24 passes for 218-yards and two touchdowns. It wasn't necessarily a garbage time effort, but at the same time, the game was pretty much out of hand at that point. And, the Panthers still controlled the game until the very end – there was never really any thought the Lions would make a serious comeback.

That game is one of many examples of Goff's poor road performances in 2022. As a whole, the team finished 4-4 away from Ford Field, but a -48 scoring margin and the fact that three of the Lions' four losses were decided by 14+ points and just one of the wins was more than four points, it's easy to see why the 4-4 record doesn't look as near as good.

It's also to see that Goff simply wasn't good on the road. He was a completely different quarterback when playing outside of Detroit. Stats don't always tell the story, but it's extremely hard to argue against his home/road splits from last year:

Stats	Home Splits	Road Splits
Completion %	65.8%	64.1%
Yards	2,472	1,966
Touchdowns	23	6
Interceptions	3	4
QB Rating	109.3	87.4
Adjusted yards per attempt	8.77	7.11
Fumbles	1	6
Fumbles lost	0	4

Goff also threw the second-fewest touchdown passes among quarterbacks that played in all their respective team's road games in 2022. Only the Cleveland Browns' Jacoby Brissett threw more. In all, he tied for the ninth-fewest touchdown passes thrown on the road.

Goff has to fix his errant play on the road

Especially if the Lions want to make the playoffs. The key with 2023, outside of Goff's control over his own play, is the fact the team opens up with four of its first seven games on the road and then ends with four of its last six games on the road. 

They aren't easy matchups, either, as you can see:

• Week 1: at Kansas City
• Week 4: at Green Bay
• Week 6: at Tampa Bay
• Week 7: at Baltimore
• Week 10: at Los Angeles (Chargers)
• Week 13: at New Orleans
• Week 14: at Chicago
• Week 16: at Minnesota
• Week 17: at Dallas 

The Chiefs, Ravens, Chargers, Saints, and Cowboys are all considered playoff teams and obviously, the Packers, Bears, and Vikings are pivotal division matchups and all three teams aren't pushovers, either. The good news is Goff was 4-2 in outdoor games last year and five of these nine games are outside.

No one is expecting Goff to be flawless, but the has to be eons better on the road in 2023. He threw at least one touchdown pass in just four road games, but tossed at least one pick in three. That's not going to win games in 2023, especially when playing the above opponents.

And when you add in Goff's road struggles in 2021, it becomes even more clear that this has to change. The question, however, is will it actually change?

It's still May and there's still a long way to go when it comes to forecasting the 2023 season, but it's certainly safe to say the Lions will miss the playoffs if Goff doesn't improve his road game in 2023.

Jared Goff is on the verge of history with the Detroit Lions

It’s getting closer.