Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff stands on the verge of achieving a remarkable NFL milestone.
As the Lions prepare to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round, Goff has showcased his precision with a completion rate exceeding 75 percent in his last two postseason outings. If he can maintain this impressive accuracy on Sunday, he will etch his name in NFL history as the only quarterback since 1970 to achieve such a feat in three consecutive playoff games.
Goff finds himself in an exclusive club, with only six quarterbacks achieving this feat twice, with the most recent being Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs during the 2021 playoffs.
The company Goff keeps in this regard bodes well for him and the Lions. Notably, the last four quarterbacks to achieve this distinction—Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Nick Foles, and Mahomes—have all gone on to secure Lombardi Trophies.
This remarkable streak for Goff traces back to the divisional round of the 2020 postseason. In that game, he posted an impressive 77 percent completion rate, albeit in a losing effort against the Green Bay Packers while he was with the Los Angeles Rams.
This season, Goff continued his accuracy with an outstanding 81 percent completion rate in the Lions’ wild-card round victory over those same Rams. In addition to his high completion percentage, Goff contributed significantly, throwing for 277 yards, a touchdown, and avoiding any interceptions, which played a pivotal role in securing the Lions’ first playoff win since 1992.
Beyond his standout numbers, Goff offers the Lions much more. When he arrived in Detroit, his reputation had been tarnished, having been cast aside by the team that selected him as the No. 1 overall pick just five years earlier. He was perceived as a player who had fallen short of expectations.
However, Jared Goff’s resilience and ability to overcome adversity have not only transformed his own narrative but have also played a crucial role in the Lions’ journey to success.