Best QB in the NFL right now? Detroit's Jared Goff
He had all the answers in a 31-29 thriller over the Minnesota Vikings. Also inside: San Francisco's Super Bowl hangover lingers, Packers defense joins the party, time's running out in NJ.
With steely eyes and laser precision, Jared Goff did it again. He blocked out the 66,971 screaming voices inside US Bank Stadium to steer the Detroit Lions into range for a game-winning field goal.
Two minutes and 32 seconds was an eternity because the factors that devour most quarterbacks this moment — noise, nerves, the best defense in the NFL — are extraneous in his world.
Goff connected with running back Jahmyr Gibbs on a swing pass off play action for 16 yards. A gain that inched the Lions into field goal range, at the 36-yard line, but they craved more. Hell no, they’re never affected by gambles past that backfired. With 1:18 left, Dan Campbell and Ben Johnson called another pass off another play-action. Goff loaded up and rifled a 14-yard crosser to Amon-Ra St. Brown, right in the vicinity of two defensive backs with a realistic shot at Canton: Harrison Smith and Stephon Gilmore.
On came kicker Jake Bakes to attempt a 44-yard field goal.
From the sideline, hands on hips, Goff gently leaned left to summon the ball through the uprights, and coolly clapped his hands. Head coach Dan Campbell was a tad more demonstrative. “Fuck yeah!” he shouted. “Boom!”
This NFC North heavyweight brawl went to the Lions.
And whenever Goff looks so emotionless, so stone-faced as he did gliding to midfield after the 31-29 win, I can’t help but chuckle at everything beneath the pale exterior. There’s a goofy side. His pranks are legendary. Once in high school, Goff tied up his pal Robbie and stuffed him into a closet near the front door after the two called for pizza to be delivered. The pizza arrived. And in nothing but his underwear, Robbie pretended to be a hostage. He stormed out of the door. “Save me!” he screamed. “Save me!” Once, Goff’s crew placed a plate of salad on top of a door hinge at school, hoping it’d spill all over one of their friends. Unfortunately, that friend never arrived and… it doused a poor girl walking through. All were punished. “Saladgate” remains a sore subject.
There’s a gnarly side, too.
Long before this 2-minute drill came a 2-minute drill nobody remembers. Back to Goff’s rookie year. With his hapless Los Angeles Rams losing 42-7 to the Atlanta Falcons, there was no reason for the 22-year-old to put his body on the line at the goal line. But he did. He launched himself into a sandwich of bodies. His chinstrap popped off. His nose started bleeding. He finished that first season 0-7 as a starter. Nobody had a clue where Goff’s pro career was heading, but moments like this filled Goff with self-confidence. Because he took his licks. He kept getting up. And the young QB realized he was both physically and mentally tough enough for this whole NFL thing.
Goff wanted everyone to know he’ll put his ass on the line for his team — under any circumstances.
“I’m more scared of people thinking I’m a p-ssy than getting hit,” Goff told me back then. “I’m more afraid that people will be like ‘He’s a little bitch,’ than I am of truly getting hit. So that’s what drives me to be like, ‘I’m fine.’”
Eight years later, this is the toughness that moves his head coach to tears.
There’s always been more to Jared Goff than anyone realizes.