Since the Detroit Lions were ousted unceremoniously in the playoffs, chants of Jared Goff have almost ceased completely.
97.1 The Ticket sports radio host Jeff Riger took to the airwaves to share what he has been sensing since the conclusion of the Lions 2024 season.
“The one thing I keep getting back from Lions fans, and it’s not every Lions fan, but it is actually a decent amount of them, is the quarterback,” Riger explained. “You know what’s changed over the last five weeks, six weeks, two months? I don’t think I’m wrong about this. Detroit Lions fans are not as confident in Jared Goff as they once were.”
Against the Commanders, Detroit’s veteran signal-caller had one of his worst performances, tossing multiple interceptions, including a pick-six interception that boosted the oppositions momentum during a road playoff game.
“All it took was one game, it was a brutal game. Even today, we had someone (caller) say, ‘Jared Goff can’t win you three, four games to win a Super Bowl.’ You went from chanting this man’s name at a Meijer’s, girl’s volleyball game, local pharmacy, school bus stop, to not chanting it at all,” said Riger. “Does the chant come back? I don’t know. How does that work? Preseason starts, you’ve got a team in town, Goff gets out there, you chant his name again? How does that work? I don’t know. There’s been so much, and it’s almost under the radar, but it’s a lot.”
One of the biggest knocks against the 30-year-old is the belief he cannot win the big game or that his lack of mobility will prevent his team from winning in the postseason.
Goff was able to lead Detroit to two playoff wins in 2023 and the collapse against the 49ers in the NFC Championship was not viewed as an issue with the play at quarterback.
Unfortunately, the glaring performance against Washington has re-opened skepticism regarding who is leading the offense.
“There’s been a lot of reaction here and there, people usually say it in passing. They call the radio station on a different topic but they always make sure to kind of slide it in. I’ve noticed. I think Detroit has fallen out of love with Jared Goff. I do. I get it man, the guy stunk in the last game. He wasn’t the only one who stunk, but he stunk in the last game,” said Riger. “And he’s 30 years old, and he’s gonna have to work with a new OC, and maybe this entire time you always thought he was a bridge quarterback even though he proved he wasn’t.
“I do believe all of Detroit loves Goff. And the Goff chants started when Stafford ran on the field in the playoffs last year, right? However, have you really always loved him? Or was there always something down deep that told you he’s not the guy for the job, he’s not gonna be able to win a Super Bowl. I’ve always wondered this, and ever since losing that playoff game, I think my wonders have been answered,” Riger continued. “There’s a lot of people that don’t come out and say it publicly, they slide it in there, it’s almost very passive aggressively. There’s a lot of people that are taking little pot shots at Jared Goff.”
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