ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff acknowledged the team’s recent struggles, agreeing with assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery that last week’s game was a case of “Lions beating Lions.”
Goff said, “If we’re able to not beat ourselves, absolutely. He’s right. We shot ourselves in the foot a few times there and ended up not being enough to win for sure.”
Recommended Videos
On the team’s ability to bounce back, Goff said, “It’s just kind of who we are, finding a way to bounce back and being resilient and playing well after losing a game or not playing well and responding the right way, practicing the right way today like we did today.”
Lions pass game coordinator David Shaw compared the offense to a basketball player hitting threes and layups, but missing the mid-range game.
Goff agreed, saying, “It’s the fundamentals of some of the middle-of-the-road stuff that has been lacking.”
The 10-year veteran, who is on pace for a career high in sacks, said, “You want to limit that as much as you can. I’ll try to get rid of the ball a little bit faster. That’ll help those guys, and I know they want to play better too.”
Regarding mixing and matching offensive linemen, Goff acknowledged the challenge but expressed confidence in the backups: “We like those guys that’ll be filling in and we’ll be just fine.”
On opponents testing their middle pressure defense, Goff said, “If you don’t show you can stop that or anything for that matter, teams are going to keep trying you until you do show you stop it.”
The offense’s current struggles are inconsistent, with pass protection around running back Jahmyr Gibbs on full display on Sunday (Nov. 2) against the Minnesota Vikings.
Goff said, “I don’t think it’s very difficult. It’s just everybody to themselves doing their job the way they’re supposed to do it.”
He rejected the idea that the team had a “bad day” against Minnesota, saying, “I thought they played well. I thought we didn’t. We just didn’t play well enough times.”
On the toughness of the Washington Commanders linebacker group, Goff praised them: “Bobby Wagner has been playing for a long time now, and I have as much respect for him as anyone in our league. Frankie Luvu is a hell of a player as well.”
Goff said motivation from last year’s playoff loss to the Commanders is present but secondary to winning and avoiding a losing streak of two games.
“More than that, we want to get off of a losing streak here and get a W.”
The last time the Lions lost consecutive games was in October of 2022, when they lost five straight games in the regular season.
When asked about schematic workarounds for interior pressure, Goff was clear: “No, you just got to block.”
On improving the screen passing game, Goff emphasized timing and practice reps: “Screens are hard to get. It’s hard to practice those because it’s hard to do it on like a full speed defense, but when you do get those reps in practice, making sure that the timing between the O line and my throw and our running backs and their landmarks all that matters a whole ton.”
Goff noted the offense ranks high in scoring but low on third downs, saying, “It’s just executing better. Running good routes, protecting well, and then me being accurate with the ball and putting the ball where it needs to be at the right time.”
Look for the Lions to get back on track against a banged-up Washington team, which is expected to be without starting quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
Kickoff is slated for 4:25 p.m.