Lions Have Same Jared Goff Problem That the Rams Once Did

History often repeats itself, occasionally in the cruelest of ways.

That's what happened at Ford Field on Saturday as the Detroit Lions lost 45-31 to the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round. This represents a disappointing step backward from last year's NFC Championship appearance, made even worse by the fact that Dan Campbell's staff could lose two trusted voices in Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn.

Detroit's defense deserves the bulk of the blame but QB Jared Goff can't escape unscathed. His 59.7 passer rating equaled his disastrous five-interception game against the Texans for his worst mark of the season.

With three interceptions and a costly lost fumble, Goff was a major part of the problem. Suddenly, it's becoming more clear why the Los Angeles Rams felt comfortable trading him for Matthew Stafford. If the Lions will ever take that next step, perhaps it's time to consider a similarly difficult decision.

Jared Goff is Holding the Lions Back in the Biggest Moments

In the playoffs, the team with the better quarterback typically wins. Jayden Daniels threw for 299 yards and two TD passes with another 51 yards on the ground while not turning the ball over. The Commanders won because he was demonstrably better than Goff, just like Brock Purdy was ultimately better down the stretch in last year's NFC title game loss.

After Goff was embarrassed by the New England Patriots in the 2018-19 Super Bowl, he wasn't overly effective and threw for only 177 yards in a Divisional Round loss to the Green Bay Packers the following year. The Rams traded him away that offseason and promptly won a Lombardi Trophy.

Goff has meant a lot to this organization and should be celebrated. In the end though, he has merely an 85.1 passer rating in 10 career playoff games. Superb play under center is the easiest way to win the biggest games, as proven by Daniels on Saturday. Goff is among the NFL's highest-paid players with an average annual salary of $53 million. If you're going to get paid like a star, you have to be one.

The 30-year-old has four years left on his deal. In reality, he's probably not going anywhere. Goff could still improve and is capable of making clutch plays, yet he has to prove it in order for fans to feel comfortable moving forward.

This loss is going to sting for a long time. A year filled with such hope came crashing down in such despair. Now that the organization must look forward, it'll be harder to feel that same level of optimism as long as Goff's playoff demons lurk in the background.

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