Lions HC Dan Campbell: Jared Goff a better QB with Lions than with Rams

Upon the Detroit Lions’ acquisition of Jared Goff from the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, it was widely believed that he would serve as a transitional quarterback until a younger player could be developed or drafted.

However, Goff’s performance has now compelled the Lions to contemplate offering him a contract extension. If Detroit meets its expectations and reaches the playoffs this season, it would be unlikely the team allows Goff to depart.

During a recent interview, head coach Dan Campbell was questioned about Goff’s progression during the offseason, as he enters his third year with the Lions. Campbell acknowledged Goff has become “very familiar with our strategies” since joining the team under a new leadership a couple of years ago.

“I think what you’re seeing is a guy who just put his head down and went back to work, worked on what he could, tried to improve on what he could, and now his confidence has really grown,” Campbell said. “And along the way, he’s really matured as a quarterback. He’s a better quarterback than he was there [in Los Angeles], in my opinion — because he can do more things. He’s mentally on it.

“I mean, we’ve come light-years from where he was two years ago when he walked in and just started teaching him protections and really dove into that. And he’s got a real good grasp of what we’re doing, where the issues are, where the problems are. And that’s something that we really wanted him to get good at — and he wanted to get good at. And he’s worked at it and he’s improved. So, that helps you.”

Goff experienced his most successful seasons with the Rams during his initial two years under head coach Sean McVay. In 2017, he boasted a completion rate of 62.1 percent and accumulated 3,804 passing yards, along with 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The following year, Goff’s completion rate rose to 64.9 percent while amassing 4,688 yards, a career-high 32 touchdowns, with 12 interceptions, while leading the Rams to the Super Bowl.

Last year in Detroit, Goff featured a solid completion rate (65.1 percent), while accumulating 4,438 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.

Regarding the coach-quarterback relationship, Campbell expressed confidence in his connection with Goff, making reference to the circumstances surrounding Goff’s departure from Los Angeles.

“Certainly, the quarterback-head coach have got to be tied to one another,” Campbell said. “But you want to get off on the right foot, you want to make sure there’s a trust there, there’s a bond. It’s got to be earned — you can’t just say it, it’s going to take time. And I think here we are in Year 3 and I very much believe he trusts me. He knows what we’re doing. And I trust him, you know? And that’s a big part of it.

“The whys, the why did this happen, why was the decision — I’ve got nothing to do with that. But I know it all worked out for us and I’m happy that it worked out for us.”

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