After the 2020 season, the Rams wanted to get rid of quarterback Jared Goff so badly that they gave the Lions a first-round pick to take him. Recently, the Lions have gotten a taste of why the Rams were so anxious to move on.
With the Lions trying to position themselves for the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl appearance, Goff has had six turnovers since Sunday.
He followed a three-interception performance in a come-from-behind win over the Bears four days ago with a three-fumble day (a career high) against the Packers in a Thanksgiving loss.
“No rhyme or reason,” Goff said about his six turnovers, via the team’s official website. “I tend to look at them individually and see what I could have done better and sometimes there’s an answer and sometimes there isn’t. But overall, yeah, it’s my job to take care of the football and I have to do a good job of it.”
He hasn’t in the last two games. And it could have been worse. Goff had what would have been a fourth interception — and likely a pick six — dropped by Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson on Sunday. If Johnson had held on and not fallen, the Lions might be 7-4 right now.
They’re still 8-3, which is far better than they usually are in late November. The playoffs are a near certainty. If they hope to compete with the likes of the Eagles, 49ers, or Cowboys, however, Goff needs to play less like the guy the Rams couldn’t wait to get rid of.