Time is a flat circle. Nothing more, nothing less.
Three years ago, the Los Angeles Rams traded Jared Goff, two first-round draft picks and a third-rounder to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford. On Sunday night, Goff and the Lions host Stafford and the Rams in the NFC wild-card round.
There has never been a playoff game in which both starting quarterbacks faced their former team, let alone one in which they were traded for each other.
As the Rams moving on from Goff, the Lions signal-caller has not forgotten.
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“I think it’ll never leave me, and I think that’s a good thing,” Goff told ESPN Wednesday about a chip “of course” being on his shoulder after the Rams traded him.
Los Angeles traded up to select Goff with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of California. In year three, Goff helped the Rams reach Super Bowl LIII, but they fell flat, losing to the New England Patriots 13-3, and never returned to the title game with Goff.
Three years later, the Rams won the Super Bowl in their first season with Stafford (2021). Los Angeles then had an abysmal follow-up season in 2022, going 5-12 before rebounding with a 10-7 campaign this year.
Goff’s experience in Detroit has been almost the opposite. The Lions went 3-13-1 in his first year, experienced a six-win jump in 2022 and then won their first-ever NFC North division title this season at 12-5.
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Goff had 4,575 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 97.9 passer rating this season, while completing 67.3% of his passes. As a whole, Detroit averaged 258.9 passing yards (second in NFL), 135.9 rushing yards (fifth), 394.8 total yards (third) and 27.1 points per game (fifth).
But none of that matters now. Goff only has his eyes on getting a win this weekend.
“I so badly want to win a playoff game for this city that hasn’t had one in so long,” Goff said. “We’ve got a home playoff game for the first time in so long and that’s so much more important than anything personally for me. I want to be a part of this win and do my job to the best of my ability.”
Kickoff for the NFC playoff bout is Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET.
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Jared Goff
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