Since the Detroit Lions were eliminated from the playoffs, the chants for Jared Goff have almost completely faded.
Jeff Riger, a host on 97.1 The Ticket sports radio, shared his thoughts on what he’s been noticing since the Lions’ 2024 season ended.
“The main thing I keep hearing from Lions fans, and it’s not everyone, but it’s a noticeable number of them, is about the quarterback,” Riger noted. “Something’s changed in the past couple of months. Detroit Lions fans don’t seem as confident in Jared Goff as they were before.”
In the playoff game against the Commanders, Goff had one of his worst performances, throwing multiple interceptions, including a pick-six that shifted momentum to the other team.
“All it took was one brutal game. Even today, someone called in and said, ‘Jared Goff can’t win you three or four games to win a Super Bowl.’ You went from chanting his name everywhere—at a Meijer’s, a girls’ volleyball game, the local pharmacy, the school bus stop—to not chanting it at all,” said Riger. “Does the chant come back? I don’t know. Will it happen when preseason starts, and Goff takes the field again? How does that work? I’m not sure. There’s a lot going on here, and it’s almost under the radar, but it’s a lot.”
One of the biggest criticisms of the 30-year-old quarterback is the belief that he can’t win the big game or that his lack of mobility will hinder his team in the postseason.
Though Goff did guide Detroit to two playoff victories in 2023, the team’s loss to the 49ers in the NFC Championship wasn’t seen as a result of poor quarterback play.
However, the poor performance against Washington has reignited doubts about who is leading the offense.
“There’s been a lot of talk here and there, and people often mention it in passing. They call in about a different topic, but they always manage to bring it up. I’ve noticed it. I think Detroit has fallen out of love with Jared Goff. I do. I get it, the guy played terribly in the last game. He wasn’t the only one who struggled, but he was bad,” said Riger. “And he’s 30 years old, he’s going to have to work with a new offensive coordinator, and maybe, all along, you thought of him as a bridge quarterback, even though he proved he wasn’t.
“I do believe everyone in Detroit loves Goff. The chants began when Stafford ran on the field during last year’s playoffs, right? But have you really always loved him? Or was there always something deep down telling you he wasn’t the guy for the job and couldn’t win a Super Bowl? I’ve always wondered that, and since losing that playoff game, I think those questions have been answered,” Riger continued. “A lot of people don’t say it outright, but they drop little comments here and there. It’s almost passive-aggressive. Many are taking subtle jabs at Jared Goff.”