Tag: jared goff

Detroit Lions Dan Campbell details Jared Goff’s super powers

ALLEN PARK — Jared Goff’s two super powers are playing with the gray matter and the ability to pass in tight coverage. That’s how Lions coach Dan Campbell sees it.

With all due respect to Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes and other stellar NFL quarterbacks, Goff has put together a stellar season through Week 10. He is rated first in the NFL in completion percentage (74); and second in passing TDs (20), passer rating (117.7) and passing first-down percentage (41.4).

“I just feel like he’s gotten better every year, So yeah, yes I do. I think he’s settled into a zone where he continues to take it up another notch,’’ coach Dan Campbell said on Wednesday. “(He) continues to get better, process information, the game slows down for him. He’s playing at a high level.’’

Campbell gave an example of Goff’s ability from Wednesday morning’s walk-through.

“This is the first taste of this gameplan going into Philly. It’s unbelievable what he’s able to grasp, retain, get us in the right play and literally (we) just gave it to him,’’ Campbell said. “He didn’t have time to digest, he’s running out on the field, now you’re walking through it.

“That’s one of his super powers, he plays with the gray matter and he’s got the ability to put it on the spot in tight coverage, I think that’s rare to have both,’’ Campbell said. “He knows what helps him and what makes him who he is. He’s got to be able to rely on that. He’s not a guy who’s – he’s not Lamar Jackson. He leans on what his abilities and skills are. He’s playing at a high level.’’

Goff said that’s a great compliment but he thinks it’s part of his job.

“I think it’s kind of like the baseline of what I’m supposed to do is retain it and be able to spit it out and then be able to kind of do my best to coach it on the field and help these guys where I can,’’ Goff said. “And yeah, I think walkthrough is extremely important. I try to take it pretty serious and make sure everyone’s doing what they’re supposed to do.”

In Sunday’s 44-22 rout at Washington, Goff was 24 of 33 for 320 yards, zero interceptions and a 135.9 rating. So far this season, he has thrown 20 touchdowns against just three interceptions — just one in the last five games.

Goff finds himself in elite company. He is one of two quarterbacks in NFL history to complete  74 percent of their passes, produce 20-plus  passing TDs and have 3-or-fewer interceptions through the first nine games of any season. The other is Drew Brees from 2018.

Lions Jahmyr Gibbs named NFC Offensive Player of the Week

23-year-old running back continues to develop

ALLEN PARK — In his third NFL season, Jahmyr Gibbs continues to develop. It was never more evident than in Sunday’s win at Washington.

Gibbs’ efforts earned him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award, announced on Wednesday. In that 44-22 romp, he had 142 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards and three touchdowns (one passing). He joins Barry Sanders as the only Lions running backs to win the award on multiple occasions.

Gibbs and the Lions were coming off a less-than stellar performance the previous week in a loss to the Vikings.

“One thing inside of that hoodie is he has a tremendous amount of pride in his performance. I had no doubt the kind of game he was going to come back and have, his demeanor in practice was a very, very serious demeanor. He usually doesn’t say much but there was a certain level of intensity from not doing what he expected to do in that game,’’ said Scottie Montgomery, assistant head coach/wide receivers coach.

Quarterback Jared Goff said Gibbs is good at “kind of everything.”

“Obviously his speed jumps out right away and we can get him on the perimeter in some things. It’s pretty impressive what he can do,’’ Goff said. “Then out of the backfield, his hands and his route-running ability is getting so much better, it’s hard to imagine where the ceiling is for this guy.’’

Montgomery pinches himself every now and then when he sees Gibbs run a play,

“His ability to cut is continuing to get better. He’s starting to understand these vertical cuts — when to put his foot in the ground,’’ Montgomery said. “This guy is super-talented and he’s gifted but the long run (43 yards) he had if you watch it, he’s waiting on blocks to set up, he knows exactly what he’s doing, he can feel the outside presence of the corner and knowing when to hit it, so he’s just doing a really really good job.’’

While it’s Gibbs’ third NFL season, he is only 23 years old. He was successful as a rookie and has just kept growing.

“The game has probably always been pretty slow for a guy that runs that fast. Now with the cerebral part of it he’s starting to play at a different level,’’ Montgomery said. “I just love where he is, especially in some of those tight area runs that people are not talking about. One of his better two or three runs in this game were 3-yard gains, 4-yard gains, where early in his career those would have been TFLs (tackles for loss) because he would’ve tried to spin out. This week he put his shoulder down, stayed tight to the double team, got 3-4 yards off of it.’’ 

Gibbs continues to make his mark on the record book. He joined Barry Sanders as the only players in franchise history to produce at least 10 touchdowns in each of a player’s first three-career seasons. 

He recorded his 11th-career multi-touchdown game (his third this year), tied with Billy Sims for the second-most multi-touchdown games by a running back in franchise history. He also joined Sanders and Sims as the only players in franchise history to top 4,000 scrimmage yards through three-career seasons.

UP NEXT: LIons (6-3) at Eagles (7-2), 8:20 p.m. on Sunday.

Lions Dan Campbell takes over play-calling; romp over Commanders may be turning point for the season

ALLEN PARK — Coach Dan Campbell unchained the dogs and let them run on Sunday. And boy, did they. The Lions’ 44-22 win at Washington felt more like a turning point in the season than just a romp over the Commanders.

This could be exactly what the Lions (6-3) need near the halfway point in the season. If that is the offense that will produce for the rest of the season, wins will come in bunches. And remember, the defense played lights out too and they are expected to get back key players — Kerby Joseph, Josh Pashal, Malcolm Rodriguez —  in the coming weeks.

Campbell tried to downplay the fact that he took over the offensive play calling from coordinator John Morton, but obviously it was the right  move. 

“It’s not about me. When everything comes together you’re trying to put together the best team that you can because they all have strengths and you play to those strengths,’’ Campbell said on Monday. “Whatever this player’s strength is it can cover up for this other player’s deficiency and vice-versa. That is how the whole organization works (including) the coaching staff in all three phases.’’ 

He credited Morton and basically all the offensive coaches for feeding him information before and during the game. Campbell repeatedly said he knows he has to improve and he will.

He got WR Jameson Williams more involved which is huge. Among NFL wide receivers Jamo is ranked third in receiving average (17.6), third in yards-after-catch/reception (7.8 ) and fifth in receiving first-down percentage (85.2 percent).

Campbell, who wore reading glasses on the sideline, also threw Dan Skipper on the field to act as sixth offensive lineman. The line had perhaps their best game of the season, opening up the run game for Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery who averaged 6.8 yards per run.

The Lions became the sixth team in NFL history to produce a road game with at least 320 net passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 225 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Catch that? Sixth team in history.

Campbell wouldn’t look too far into the future, but plans to make the calls on Sunday night against the Eagles. 

“Sometimes you have to move some things around, you’ve got the right people. It’s just about putting people in different spots and all of a sudden man you clicked and it fit right in place and then you’re humming,’’ Campbell said. “I think that’s some of it — we’ve got the right staff, we’ve got the right players. So yesterday was a step in the right direction.’’

Campbell has a vision of what he wants from the offense and the best way to get it is to call the plays himself. It’s pretty simple.

Or maybe it was the glasses …

UP NEXT: Lions (6-3) at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:20 p.m. on Sunday Night Football.