Detroit, be grateful you have a selfless franchise quarterback. The Lions’ Jared Goff on Monday night got not one but two mane-scratching snubs.
First, as ESPN’s Lisa Salters broke the news to Goff in a live postgame interview that he’d just completed a perfect 18-of-18 night in Detroit’s 42-29 win over Seattle (3-1), head coach Dan Campbell was preparing his game-ball presentation: A locker-room speech for Jameson Williams. Asked minutes later in a press conference about his quarterback’s flawless performance, Campbell nibbled on a bite of humble pie.
“I just gave the game ball to somebody else, so I feel awful right now,” said Campbell, whose quarterback threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard strike to Williams. “I knew he played a heck of a game. I did not realize he was perfect. I did not know he was literally 18-for-18.”
Also, something most did not know is that Goff’s incredible individual effort did not qualify for a perfect passer rating, the elusive 158.3. The league’s convoluted formula left Goff with a mere 155.8 mark.
“That system is weird, but whatever,” Goff said.
Like a Motor City Rodney Dangerfield, what else does the poor guy have to do? Goff, who established the single-game NFL record for most passes without an incompletion, even caught a touchdown pass from wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown – something Goff attributed to offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and his creativity.
Blame backup tight end Brock Wright, whose fourth-quarter offensive pass interference wiped out Goff’s only incompletion, a misfire toward Sam LaPorta. Or, Goff said, blame him for not seeing an open man on a fourth-quarter safety.
But Goff’s love language isn’t acts of service or gifts, it’s Super Bowls.
“That’s OK,” said Goff, sharing his thoughts on his head coach’s snub. “We’ll see; maybe he’ll make it up, but that’s OK. I’m just happy we got the win.”
And the Lions (3-1) are happy to get a bye week. Next up for Detroit is an Oct. 13 return trip to AT&T Stadium, where they narrowly lost to the Cowboys (2-2) late last season.