threw for 4,575 yards (second in the league) and 30 touchdowns (fourth) while completing a career-high 67.3% of his passes (fifth best) during the regular season; concluded with a QB rating of 97.3 (seventh best); averaged 7.6 yards per attempt (seventh best); threw a pick on 1.7% of his passes (ninth best); while kept clean in the pocket, Goff had 28 touchdowns, just three picks, and a QB rating of 116.1 (second); while under duress, Goff had six touchdowns, nine picks, and a passer rating of 61.0 (18th best); added 119 yards more than anyone else during the playoffs while completing 69.4% of his passes.
After taking over in Detroit, Brad Holmes has hit one home run after another. You can’t go from 0-10-1 to the NFC Championship game in little over two years without doing a lot of things well. From Penei Sewell and Aidan Hutchinson at the top of the draft to Amon-Ra St. Brown on Day 3, Josh Reynolds on waivers, Alex Anzalone on a deal close to minimum, and Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta, All-Rookies with a seventh overall pick… You understand, after all. Quite excellent stuff.
But out of all the amazing things Brad Holmes did in Detroit, his first is still the greatest.
The greatest quarterback in team history made a standing trade request to Holmes when he took over in Detroit. That presents a formidable task for any newly appointed general manager. However, Holmes made Matthew Stafford become Jameson Williams, Josh Paschal, Sam LaPorta, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Ifeatu Melifonwu, and Brodric Martin—all very strong players. Additionally, he granted Los Angeles’ request for a trade because he thought Jared Goff’s career with the Rams might be salvaged. Three years later, Goff is dominating the football field more than ever. He even outplayed Stafford during the Lions’ first postseason victory in thirty-two years, all as the fans cheered his name.
Goff went on to lead the Lions to another playoff win the following week, and “JA-RED GOFF” chants broke out across the state, from minor-league hockey games to high school cheer competitions and even the grocery store.
Stafford got his ring in Los Angeles. Good for him.
But it’s hard to imagine that trade going any better for Goff and Detroit, too.
After Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson took over the offense in the second part of the 2021 season, Goff started playing well right away. He was selected to the Pro Bowl the previous season and declined to compete in the all-star game this past season. Leading the league’s second-best passing attack, he had his greatest completion percentage (67.3) and was ranked among the top ten quarterbacks in all key categories. With Amon-Ra St. Brown (selected first-team All-Pro) and Sam LaPorta (who had one of the best rookie seasons ever by a tight end), he was particularly skilled at timing routes.
GET MORE NEWS HERE
