Goff had a pretty impressive game outside of one costly mistake
Many fans will remain hung up on the interception from Jared Goff that led to a defensive touchdown for the Seahawks. Rightfully so, the pick-six was poorly placed and it was a costly one in the 4th quarter that gave the Seahawks a 10-point lead.
Looking beyond the interception, there were a lot of great throws from Jared Goff against the Seahawks. In week two, Goff went 28/35 for 323 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Let’s jump into the film room and take a look at some of the best throws from Jared Goff against the Seattle Seahawks.
Starting with the play above, this may have been one of the best throws from Jared Goff during his tenure with the Lions. It was the play right before the half and the Lions took a shot at the end-zone.
With Amon-Ra St. Brown sprinting down the sideline, Goff stepped up in a well-protected pocket and placed this ball perfectly. Despite the cornerback fighting for position to make a play, the ball was placed perfectly over the shoulders of both the defender and receiver.
This allowed St. Brown to extend his arms and haul this one in. Sure, St. Brown fumbled after taking a few steps, and the defender was forced out of bounds to go to the half, but we still have to give credit where it’s due. This is one heck of a throw from Goff.
The next play above is another great throw from Jared Goff. Not only is it a great throw but it’s also a great pre-snap read from Goff. As the Lions come out in an empty set, Goff reads the single high safety. Prior to the snap, the safety shades over to the three-receiver side and knows that he could hit the post route to the middle of the field.
Despite having a defender in the hip pocket of receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Goff fires this pass in there, and it’s a perfect pitch-and-catch. Not known for slinging the football like this, it’s a great indication that Goff may be willing to take more shots deeper down the field despite knowing the risk for an interception or incomplete pass is higher.
Next we have to highlight the first touchdown pass of the game to Josh Reynolds. Give credit where it’s due, Reynolds did a great job hanging onto the ball despite knowing there was contact coming from the safety over the middle of the field.
On that touchdown pass, the Lions come out in 12 personnel (one running back and two tight ends). Prior to the snap, Goff motions Brock Wright (TE 89) to the right and this allows Wright runs a wheel route up the sideline. This leaves Reynolds 1-on-1 with a safety that buzzes down to him.
During this seam route from Reynolds, he hits the safety with an outside-in move and he gets vertical due to his ability to explode off his jab step. This is good enough to create an opening. In the process, Goff starts his read to the left before scanning to his right where he fires it into the chest of Reynolds for the touchdown. This was a terrific first drive for Detroit.
Lastly, I want to cover the completion from Goff to St. Brown in the 3rd quarter that contributed to Detroit going up 21 to 14 on Seattle. On the play above, the Lions come out in their Pony personnel (two running backs in the backfield) while facing a 2nd-and-19 from the Seattle 28-yard line.
While Detroit has two running backs in the backfield, it’s important to watch the twins formation at the top of the screen. Operating out of the slot is wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and he runs an excellent whip route.
In addition to the route from St. Brown, watch how Goff scans the field after the snap. He reads tight end Sam LaPorta, who is aligned as the ‘X’ receiver and is running a fade. Underneath that, you’ll notice running back Jahmyr Gibbs on a quick stop route.
While Goff is going through his reads, he sees everything is covered so he quickly scans to his right and that’s where he finds St. Brown open for a 14-yard completion. It’s important to note that St. Brown ended up getting hurt on this play but he did check back in and finished the game.
Overall, this was a strong performance from quarterback Jared Goff. While he did contribute to the loss with a pick-six, he was fairly accurate throughout the game. Keep in mind, Goff went 383 pass attempts without an interception so we knew he was bound for one despite how costly it could be for him and the Lions.
Whether you love him or hate him, Goff has played very well for Detroit since his arrival. If he continues to complete passes like the ones we saw above, he’s destined to have another strong season as he searches for a new contract with the Lions.
