Even a flawless passing night may be forgotten when you’re stuck in a see-saw battle with 905 yards of offence on the field and a combined 71 points on the scoreboard. That was the situation on a crazy Monday night when neither quarterback Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions nor head coach Dan Campbell were aware that Goff had completed an impeccable 18 of 18 passes following their wild and woolly 42-29 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
Nevertheless, there was enough for Detroit to take in and enjoy as Goff also passed for 292 yards, two touchdowns (including a 70-yarder), and his first career interception. After the game, Campbell remarked, “I feel terrible right now because I just gave the game ball to somebody else.” “I was aware of his exceptional game play. I had no idea he was flawless. I had no idea he was actually eighteen for eighteen. But I could tell he was an extremely good player; it was palpable. He really got into his flow early on, and I felt like he was seeing the field and playing with timing, albeit he still needed to make a small pocket movement. .. Just a bunch of tremendous tosses. played with composure.”
Goff’s final flawless throwing line came during an on-field interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters shortly before Campbell hit the field.
“Was I?” When informed that he was faultless that night, Goff inquired.
“It’s good when the ball doesn’t hit the ground, it’s a good day,” Goff went on.
Wide receiver Jameson Williams, who scored the previously noted 70-yard touchdown, and cornerback Kerby Joseph, who made the game-winning interception, received game balls, according to Campbell. It became clear how many spectacular performances there were.
There were many of highlights. at the case of Goff, history was also at play. According to NFL Research, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to attempt 15 passes or more in a game without failing. He went 12 for 12 before becoming the first quarterback to score a receiving touchdown since Zach Wilson of the New York Jets in Week 4, 2022, when he snagged an exquisite Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown bomb for a 7-yard score.
“No, I suppose that’s my first one, too. Goff remarked of the touchdown reception, “Ever.” “And I’m saying all the way back to 7 years old, I think that’s my first one.”
Although the play has been in the works for some time, Monday night was the ideal occasion to present it. After the game, Goff told reporters, “That play has been in for a long time, we’ve just never gotten in the right situation for it to get called.” “I think we actually have called it in a game before, and then if it’s not the right look I get out of it, but that was the right look.” Through the first three weeks, Detroit’s high-profile and high-octane offence had failed to score more than 26 points and had yet to fire up the scoreboard.
However, Monday’s performance demonstrated why Campbell remained optimistic that the Goff-led group would soon become more energetic. Campbell remarked, “We knew this was going to be an offensive.” “Everyone was involved. That’s why you can’t worry about this and that. You cannot get frightened. You simply put in your labour and tidy things up.” Despite Goff’s accurate passing in the first half, the offence was mostly driven by David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs’ rushing duo, which combined for three touchdowns to give the team a 21-7 advantage at the intermission.
In the third quarter, after the Seahawks had narrowed the gap to 21-14, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson increased the razzle dazzle. “This week, we really went for it,” St. Brown said to Taylor Bisciotti of NFL Network. “We planned to contact it if we had the appropriate alert. I’m present in the group. When he calls, he says, “Okay, let’s go.” Let’s try it; if I can’t catch one, I’ll toss one. With just one touchdown reception of the season, Goff briefly shared the team lead in receptions.
He altered all that, though, when he fired a laser over the middle to Williams while facing down a Seahawks pass rush and the quick wideout took it to the house. It was Goff’s fifteenth consecutive game completion. He paid it forward to St. Brown on his 17th, tossing an 8-yard touchdown pass. With two touchdown catches apiece, Williams and Brown are now tied for the season lead, only one more than Goff.
The quarterback isn’t entirely sure why the St. Brown-to-Goff touchdown play is known as Alcatraz. “It’s been called Alcatraz for two or three years now,” Goff stated. “I think I never found out why [Johnson] did it. Most likely, there is a cause. I just don’t know, even though I surely should.” Whatever the history behind the play’s title, Goff was unavoidable on Monday night. Among quarterbacks, he was the one with most touchdown receptions than incomplete passes.
The night before the Detroit Tigers opened the Major League Baseball playoffs, he was the Detroit Lion who pitched a perfect game. The quarterback who led the Lions to victory without a game ball or even a perfect passer rating was the one who reignited the offence. Fantastic. Regarding going 18 for 18, Goff stated, “Yeah, really cool.” “It’s a cool thing to have I guess, but I’m happy we got the win.”
