Lions' Jared Goff can prove he's beyond regression in 2023
On Monday I wrote up 4 reasons to be optimistic about the 2023 Lions. Naturally there had to be a follow to that. I sort of struggled to find four things that really concerned me about the Lions. I'll admit, I'm pretty high on this team right now. One of the things I talked about […]
On Monday I wrote up 4 reasons to be optimistic about the 2023 Lions. Naturally there had to be a follow to that. I sort of struggled to find four things that really concerned me about the Lions. I'll admit, I'm pretty high on this team right now.
One of the things I talked about in that piece was the fear that Jared Goff might regress again.
It's all I ever seem to hear about when it comes to Goff. He had a regression with the Rams and Lions fans are worried that he might have another with the Lions. Let's talk about why that might not be the case in 2023.
Confidence
Confidence goes a long way at this position. Especially when there's a lack of it. Upon Goff's arrival in Detroit, you could see it written all over his face. This was a guy that had taken quite the hit to his confidence.
Sean McVay and the Rams really did a number on this kid. Once the 2022 season started, that lack of confidence was on display on the field. Goff wouldn't throw deep, he wouldn't stand in the pocket and he just generally looked lost.
Things got better after a while and you could really see his confidence seem to return. Especially after the Lions won their first game with him under center. There were some small bumps in the road in the early part of the the 2022 season, but for the most part, Goff had arguably the best season of his career and he took a lot more chances than we were previously used to watching him take.
Continuity
Sure, there will be some changes to the Lions offense in 2023, but for most part, everything Goff had to make him successful in 2022 is still there.
The big one is Ben Johnson. There's a real relationship there between the two and it really unfolded on the field in 2022. Johnson tailored the Lions offense around what Goff can do best. A lot of play action and shotgun type looks. Goff succeeded at all that stuff.
He'll also have quarterbacks coach Mark Brunell along for another year. Brunell has worked with Goff since they both arrived in 2021 and he deserves some credit for helping Goff restore some of that confidence that he was missing.
Along with that, Goff also has his top receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown and he's surrounded by weapons that can help him out.
It's often ignored how much changeover and regression the rest of the Rams went through when Goff was going through his. Todd Gurley suffered injuries and his play fell off, Brandin Cooks did the same. At the same time, the Rams offense changed and they began to go away from the things that Goff had been successful at. Goff's regression was sort of a group effort.
It's his team now
Goff isn't a kid anymore. While he's still younger than me and every time I see his full head of hair I get a little sad about myself and my decaying body, he's not the young kid that he was with the Rams. He's a leader now. That really means something.
Goff is driving the ship now. Things are tailored around him and his confidence and so far, he's stepped up to the plate on all of this. The team really seems to love him and it often shows on the field and in the locker room. It even shows in the photography sessions.
His teammates got together to put all that ice on him.
You could see it in last years post game locker room celebrations too. Goff was breaking down the team multiple times and each time he talked about the mission at hand and what lies ahead. The team listened.
It's easy to go back and see the regression of a younger Goff who's world is constantly changing around him and think that he could be in for that same future in Detroit, but with his maturity, his confidence and the continuity around him, he should be able to avoid the second big regression in his career.
Featured image by Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
