Jared Goff is the man in Detroit right now.
Heck, that was the case even before the Detroit Lions defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 24—23, in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs Sunday night at Ford Field.
As Goff jogged out onto the field before the game, Lions fans thunderously chanted his name, mere moments after they rained down boos on former Detroit—and current Rams—quarterback Matthew Stafford. The message from the fan base was simple.
Goff is our quarterback.
All Goff did was play a flawless game against his former employer, leading the Lions to their first playoff win since January 1992. He completed 22 of 27 passes for 277 yards with one touchdown pass and no interceptions.
Such a performance was worthy of a perfect scene in the locker room, which is exactly what happened.
Along with a passionate speech from Lions coach Dan Campbell, Detroit players took the cue from the fans, chanting Goff’s name as he walked into the locker room in an electric scene.
Ja-red GOFF! Ja-red GOFF!#AllGrit pic.twitter.com/NGBoC8KRMN
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 15, 2024
Amazing. It’s obvious just how much Goff, who has endured his share of criticism during his career, means to his team.
A confident squad at the right time, the Lions will be a tough out this postseason if Goff continues to play like he did against the Rams.
Detroit will play the winner of Monday’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 3 p.m. ET Sunday at Ford Field.