The Detroit Lions can win with Jared Goff despite limitations
By Bob Heyrman
It’s hard to be overly critical of Detroit Lions’ starting quarterback, Jared Goff, looking at the roster he was provided.
If the Detroit Lions are able to begin the 2022 NFL season healthy, Goff will be insulated with what should be a top-ten offensive line, which will have aspirations to finish the year as a top-five unit. That’s step one. The Detroit Lions will enter the 2022 NFL Draft, not having to draft an offensive lineman if they choose, knowing that not only is the starting five set to return, but also two backups (Logan Stenberg, Dan Skipper) are under contract.
The organization has many holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball at every level. Still, with a plethora of draft capital, those areas can be addressed, plus Holmes’ can draft another young impactful pass-catcher with one of the team’s three draft choices in the top 34.
Detroit also has enough cap space to sign one of the better-established free-agent receivers. I don’t expect the Lions to be in the market to sign someone like Davante Adams, but perhaps Allen Robinson, D.J. Chark, or Michael Gallup fills the need.
So, with one of the league’s top offensive line’s in place, an above-average tight end in T.J. Hockenson, an emerging reliable number two pass-catcher in St. Brown, plus an established free agent receiver and another playmaking rookie, the pieces are in place for Goff to succeed. Just look at what the San Francisco 49ers are doing with Jimmy Garoppolo.
St. Brown isn’t Deebo Samuel, but he’s quickly becoming a player that the Lions can use in different situations, whether it’s out of the backfield, in the slot, or on the outside. Detroit can hand the football off to St. Brown, swing it out to him, or hand it off on a reverse. The Lions will also be able to use St. Brown as a decoy when they have someone that poses a threat elsewhere.
Recently, Samuel took to social media to defend his highly criticized quarterback;
"“Check his win percentage … Okay I’ll wait. Pure Winner,” Deebo Samuel tweeted before tagging Garoppolo on Thursday morning."
Goff, similar to Garoppolo, is often criticized, and if he has more performances as he did down the stretch, standing in the pocket, taking a pop from a pass-rusher to make a play, his teammates will quickly come in waves to defend him too.