Jared Goff isn’t dwelling on last week’s rough outing — the tipped throws, the misfires, or the unusually shaky timing with his top receiver.
Before facing the Philadelphia Eagles, Goff had only five passes knocked down at the line all season. That number doubled in a single afternoon as Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter managed to deflect five more. The Eagles’ interior linemen later said something about Goff’s release point led them to believe they could disrupt him that way.
Goff said he hadn’t seen the comments but heard about them from a coach. Even so, he’s not treating the issue as anything more than an anomaly.
“If it keeps happening, then sure — you look into it,” Goff said Wednesday. “But right now, I see it as a one-off. They executed well. Whatever they saw, they took advantage of, and credit to them.”
Goff went on to post the lowest completion rate of his career — 37.8% — completing just two of his final 18 throws during Detroit’s 16–9 loss in Philadelphia.
He called the film “frustrating” and “not enjoyable,” though he said there were lessons to take from it.
One thing he’s also not stressing over is his uncharacteristically poor connection with Amon-Ra St. Brown. Goff threw at the All-Pro 12 times, and only two resulted in completions.
Third and fourth downs were a disaster for the Lions, who went 3-for-13 on third down and failed on all five fourth-down attempts. Seven of those key-down targets went St. Brown’s way, and none resulted in a catch — a mix of errant throws, drops, and mistimed routes.
But just like with the batted passes, Goff isn’t changing course with his go-to receiver.
“We’re good. I chalk it up as an exception considering what we’ve built together,” he said. “We look at the tape, talk about details, but there’s no need for some big emotional conversation. We’ll keep doing what we do.”
Despite last week’s struggles, neither Goff nor head coach Dan Campbell seems worried. Goff and St. Brown have powered one of the league’s most productive offenses over the last several seasons, with St. Brown becoming one of the NFL’s most reliable weapons.
It’s extremely rare for him to finish with just two catches — especially when he’s targeted that often. But the duo’s history is strong enough to quiet any real concern.
St. Brown currently ranks second in touchdown receptions (8), eighth in receiving yards (735), sixth in receptions (66) and targets (94), and is a two-time first-team All-Pro.
“That kind of game between those two almost never happens,” Campbell said Monday. “I’m not worried at all. It was just one of those days where things were off in several areas. Their chemistry is fine.
“Both guys — like the rest of us — are ready to move on and prepare for the Giants.”
