As the 2023 season has progressed, Jared Goff has proven time and time again that he possesses the necessary intangibles to be the Detroit Lions’ starting quarterback.
The veteran signal-caller will never be confused for having the biggest arm or being the most prolific passer.
Yet, more often than not, he’s gotten the job done under center while displaying proficiency and just the right moxie and poise. Speaking of proficiency, the three-time Pro Bowler has thrown for 4,255 yards – the third-most yards in the league – while completing a near career-best 67 percent of his passes.
And perhaps most impressively, no matter how many times Goff has taken a hit or has been sacked in a game this season, he’s never appeared that visibly shaken. He’s consistently gotten right back up and brushed off the past play like it’s been no big deal.
It’s something that Lions head man Dan Campbell noticed Goff would do even before he started coaching the veteran passer.
“From afar, you always – I’ve alluded to this before, but just standing across the sideline from him, I always thought of him as a very – I just saw him in big-time games at our place, and to watch him stand in there and make another throw and get hit and get off the ground, I always thought of him as a tough player,” Campbell said of Goff earlier this week. “And so, with that, you think of, he’s probably pretty resilient to be able to do the things he does.”
There’s no doubt that Goff, who’s now in his eighth NFL season, embodies an immense amount of toughness. It’s a trait that helped the savvy vet lead the Lions to the NFC North division crown, the organization’s first division championship in 30 years.
And, it’s also the very characteristic that has allowed Goff to endear himself to Campbell.
“Until you’re around him (Goff), like I’ve been around him, I don’t want to say it surprised me, but yet, you really get to understand just how resilient he is and how his ability to bounce back – he can look at a situation and take it for what it is,” Campbell expressed. “This is not an, ‘All of sudden, I’ve turned into a – I’m not a good quarterback anymore, or I’m not doing things.’ It’s simply, ‘I’ve got to do this with my footwork. I’ve got to be faster with my progression. I’m drifting too far here in the pocket.’ He can look at it and look at the substance of it and correct – autocorrect and not lose confidence.
“He knows, ‘I’ve just got to correct this. I’ve just got to do this better.’ And, he never gets too high, he never gets too low. And, I think that’s exactly where you want your quarterback to be. So, he’s very resilient.”
