Detroit Lions: Jared Goff disrespected in most recent QB rankings

It’s just another day of disrespecting quarterback Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions.  Once again, Goff finds himself on the wrong end of a list.

This time it’s a list orchestrated by Pro Football Focus (subscription).  PFF ranked all of the NFL’s starting quarterbacks, and yes, Goff did not fare too well.

Kellie Rowe of Pride of Detroit and Fox 2 News recently pointed out that Goff came in a few slots lower than usual in former NFL quarterback Bruce Gradkowski’s latest rankings.  Goff is widely considered a third-tier talent, will ordinarily find himself ranked around 20th overall.

Being the 20th best starting quarterback in the NFL won’t exactly jump out at you, but if utilized correctly, can be someone you can win with.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff disrespected in recent quarterback rankings.

Gradkowski has Goff ranked 26th overall behind the likes of Justin Fields, Jamies Winston, Carson Wentz, Trevor Lawrence, Daniel Jones, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Derek Carr.  If you are wondering, and I know many of you are, Matthew Stafford ranked 11th.

Come on now, Bruce.

Here is part of what Gradkowski had to say about Goff;

"Goff has a top-five passing grade when he has a clean pocket, is in rhythm and targets intermediate throws 10-19 yards downfield. He struggled when targeting 20-plus yard throws in the same scenario, earning the 29th-ranked passing grade out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks.Getting the ball downfield in 2020 was a struggle, whether it was missed throws or negatively graded throws. This is probably why Goff led the league in passing yards on completions of 5 yards or less a season ago. The Lions seem to be building around Goff, and this is exactly what he needs to get his confidence back up so he can play at a high level again."

The only players ranked lower than Goff on this particular list are Cam Newton, Sam Darnold, Tua Tagovailoa, Zach Wilson, Jalen Hurts, and Drew Lock.

We’ve all heard this bit a thousand times, Trent Dilfer won a Super Bowl.  I get it, so did Joe Flacco, plus Eli Manning has two rings.

Although Goff doesn’t possess the arm talent his former head coach Sean McVay had been looking for, he can manage a game similar to Alex Smith or Kirk Cousins.  Goff may excel without having the weight of an offense pressed firmly on his shoulders.

In my opinion, newly hired offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn’s offense is perfect for Goff’s skill-set.  Lynn loves to use a power-rushing attack which sets up the play-action pass.  Lynn also loves to utilize the tight end and running backs in the passing game, two strengths of the Detroit Lions offense.  Expect D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson to be the focal point of Detroit’s offense in 2021.

Adding rookie offensive tackle Penei Sewell to an already above-average offensive line will only help keep Goff locked and loaded and, more importantly, upright in a clean pocket.

The one area Detroit has not done Goff any favors is with this subpar receiving corps led by Tyrell Williams, Brashard Perriman, and rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown.  It would be nice to see a legitimate number one of two pass-catcher on the depth chart before the start of the 2021 season.