I may have got a little bit carried away in the Sky Sports NFL studio on Sunday night when I remarked that Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff was in "the form of his life."
But the more I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen him play better. During Sunday's 31-29 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, Goff was very close to perfect for the third week in a row. He completed 22 of 25 throws for 280 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
In the past, there have been occasions where we have seen Goff overwhelmed by a brutal pass rush (a one-sided loss to Baltimore last season springs to mind) or a scheming coordinator. In Week 7, he faced both and had all the answers to the test.
For context, let's go back to Super Bowl 53 as Goff led a Los Angeles Rams team that had averaged 31 points per game during the season. He was facing off against a New England Patriots squad that featured Brian Flores as its defensive coordinator in his final game before taking charge of the Miami Dolphins. Flores did a number on Goff that night, stifling the league's best attack and New England ground out a 13-3 victory.
Flores was on the opposite sideline on Sunday as the creative and much-heralded defensive coordinator of the Vikings. He was overseeing a unit that had been the talk of the league in the season's opening six weeks. And while Minnesota still enjoyed some big moments on that side of the ball, Goff continued to attack and deliver big plays for his team, especially in pressure moments with the game on the line.
There is no doubt that Goff has been given great belief and confidence by head coach Dan Campbell. I also don't believe this is an overstatement when I say that Campbell has saved Goff's career. Deemed surplus to requirements in LA, Goff was beaten down and viewed as damaged goods when he arrived in Detroit. The optics were made worse when the quarterback the Rams moved on to – former Lion Matthew Stafford – delivered the Super Bowl glory in California that Goff could not.
Campbell has built so much belief into his elite quarterback – and his entire team – that the Lions didn't even blink when they trailed 10-0 early on in what is one of the most hostile environments in the NFL. That comes down to so much more than X's and O's – that is about a head coach showing how much he cares about a player and has faith in that person.
But those in-game tactics still matter. Goff is also helped by some astute and inspirational play-calling from offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who will be a head coach in the league by next season. Add in weapons such as Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery and Amon-Ra St. Brown and you can see why the Lions are producing yards and points at an impressive rate.
Sunday's win over the previously-undefeated Vikings shows that these Lions – and their quarterback – are for real and they should be heavily involved in any conversations that focus on potential Super Bowl representatives from the NFC. This is the team to beat in that conference.
Who's Hot…
Saquon Barkley… Things could not have gone much worse for the New York Giants on Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles marched into town and recorded a cakewalk 28-3 victory. More on the Giants later. The reason it was so bad is because former Giant Saquon Barkley did so much of the damage, carrying 17 times for 176 yards (more than 10 yards per carry) and a touchdown. As expected, Barkley appears to be a perfect fit for an Eagles team that ran the ball 45 times for 269 yards and three scores.
Kansas City's defense… The Chiefs are 6-0 and the lone undefeated team in the NFL. And their chase of an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl crown remains very much alive. And while he made a few big plays with his legs in Sunday's 28-18 win over the San Francisco 49ers, KC's success doesn't have as much to do with superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes as in years past. Mahomes did not throw a TD pass on Sunday and tossed another two picks to now lead the NFL with eight interceptions. But Brock Purdy was worse, throwing three interceptions against a Chiefs defense that controlled the game from start to finish. San Francisco headed into Week 7 as the second-best offense in the NFL with an average of 420 yards per outing. They gained a misleading 310 yards on Sunday but went two for 11 on third down conversion attempts. Steve Spagnuolo's defense is legit and the major reason this team has not suffered a defeat so far this season.
Green Bay's defense… The Packers' D had caught our attention early this season, producing a league-leading 17 takeaways in their opening six games. There were no turnovers against the Houston Texans on Sunday, but that unit contributed massively to a 24-22 victory that was secured on a 45-yard field goal from Brandon McManus as time ran out. The Packers recorded four sacks and held Houston to just 197 total yards in the entire game and to just three second half points. What occurred at Lambeau Field doesn't change my opinion that C.J. Stroud is a really good quarterback, but he hit on just 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards and no touchdowns. We pay a great deal of attention to Jordan Love and his receivers, but this Green Bay defense is proving the Packers are about much more than their offense.
Who's Not…
The Cleveland Browns… The Browns fell to 1-6 on the season with Sunday's 21-14 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. But they lost more than that in Week 7. The lost starting quarterback Deshaun Watson to a torn Achilles and they might have lost a fortune in cash should they choose to move on from their controversial signal-caller. Watson signed a fully-guaranteed contract worth $230 million when he joined the Browns in 2022. That deal is set in stone and will run through the 2025 and 2026 campaigns. Watson will get paid $92 million in salary over the next two years and his cost against Cleveland's cap will total $72.9 million per year in each of those remaining seasons. Watson – who has a ton of well-documented off-field baggage – was booed as he ran onto the field on Sunday and heard Cleveland fans cheering as he was carted off. The Browns cannot run him out there again in 2025, no matter the implications. They need to take their lumps, draft a young QB who can play on a cheaper rookie contract for four or five years and start over. Again!
San Francisco's offense… The 49ers were down to the bare bones during Sunday's loss to Kansas City as Deebo Samuel left the game with a sickness and Brandon Aiyuk suffered what Kyle Shanahan feared was a torn ACL. And with Christian McCaffrey still on the sidelines and yet to play this season, it's all proving to be a bit too much for the reigning NFC champs. But the Chiefs were also missing a lot of weapons on Sunday and Andy Reid made it work to the tune of 28 points and more than 180 yards on the ground. I don't think Shanahan is doing his best work on the coaching front at the moment and it's going to be a tough road back for a 3-4 team that has still not won back-to-back games this season.
The New York Giants… The Giants are 2-5 following Sunday's loss to Philadelphia and their fans must be growing more annoyed with every home performance. Brian Daboll's men are 0-4 in New York this season and have scored just one touchdown at home. Daniel Jones has not thrown a touchdown pass in his own stadium since Week 17 of the 2022 season – more than 600 days ago. And that is a quarterback earning more than $40 million per year. But it should be noted that it is impossible to throw touchdown passes when you are flat on your back! Jones was sacked eight times on Sunday and it was not a much better effort from his offensive line when it came to run blocking. New York's lead back in the Meadowlands was Tyrone Tracy, who gained 23 yards on six carries. Meanwhile, the only beacon of hope that the Giants once had on offense was playing for the other team and looking like the second coming of the great Jim Brown!
The Fast Five…
- The Jacksonville Jaguars needed that 32-16 win over the New England Patriots in the worst possible way. And what was impressive about their Week 7 victory is that they fell behind 10-0 at Wembley Stadium. That would have seriously tested the resolve of a team that had its back against the wall, particularly head coach Doug Pederson. It was only one win against an under-manned opponent, but it was a big win for the Jags and Trevor Lawrence continues to show he is not this team's problem. He is the pillar around whom everything should be built.
- For years I have been far too obsessed by the fact that regular season games in London and Germany have never featured a kick or punt return touchdown. I don't really think it's been on the radar of too many other people, but I've mentioned and written about it a lot! So, I always hoped I would be there when that particular duck was broken. But as Parker Washington was scoring on a 96-yard punt return for the Jags – also the longest scoring play in an international game – I was sitting in makeup getting ready for our Sky show. I had major special teams FOMO, I can tell you!
- Russell Wilson showed why Mike Tomlin turned to him to lead the Steelers the rest of the way as he threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns in a come-from-behind 37-15 win over the disappointing New York Jets. Justin Fields created some exciting plays with his legs, but the reality is that Wilson – while no longer the elite player he was in Seattle - is a more-rounded quarterback who brings a greater threat to the aerial attack of the now-5-2 Steelers.
- The Miami Dolphins had another rough showing on offense, scoring just one touchdown as they lost 16-10 to the Indianapolis Colts and fell to 2-4 on what is shaping up to be a broken season. There are enough games to salvage this campaign if Tua Tagovailoa returns quickly from his serious concussion issues. But he's not even practicing yet and his timeline is unclear. If Miami are 2-6 or 2-7 by mid-season, why rush back? It's time for Tua to look after himself and his long-term health. Don't come back, kid!
- Geno Smith was very impressive for the Seattle Seahawks as they snapped a three-game losing streak with a 34-14 win over the Atlanta Falcons, who had won three in a row. Seattle's quarterback threw for 207 yards and no picks, connecting on very-well-executed touchdown passes to D.K. Metcalf and Kenneth Walker. Geno too often flies under the NFL radar and continues to play at a high level.
Fact of the Week
In leading the Denver Broncos to a 33-10 win over his old team, the New Orleans Saints, in Week 7; Sean Payton became the eighth head coach in NFL history to record a victory over all 32 franchises.
Final Thought…
Coaching matters! We hear all the time how this is a players' league and it's those on the field who determine the outcome of games. That is quite often the case. How many times do we see a superstar quarterback like Patrick Mahomes take over a contest? But even the greatest of our recent times is strengthened by the support and guidance of Andy Reid. Whether it be through X's and O's (Reid, Spagnulo, Ben Johnson) or through emotional support that can help to rebuild shattered confidence (Campbell, Mike Tomlin), the role of coaches in the NFL remains as strong now as it was when giants of the game such as Tom Landry, Don Shula, Bill Parcells and then Bill Belichick patrolled the sidelines.
