SAD NEWS: Justin Watson Has Been Departed From Detroit Lions Today..
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has one prime objective in 2024 – win a Super Bowl.
The Lions came up just short of their ultimate goal when they lost to the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, in the NFC Championship Game. However, they showed they’re not only a playoff contender, but they’re every bit ready to compete for a Super Bowl after leading the Niners by 17 points in the second half.
While speaking on behalf of his partnership with Jared prior to Super Bowl LVIII – Goff gifted his offensive lineman with Breitling watches worth $11,500 each –- the 29-year-old quarterback opened up on his goal for the 2024 season along with his thoughts on beating his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, and his offensive coordinator Ben Johnson returning for another season in Detroit.
“Oh yeah,” Goff said when asked if his prime objective is to win a Super Bowl next season. “That was how it was this year too.”
The Lions were obviously the Cinderella team of this year’s postseason. While Detroit was expected to be good after flirting with the playoffs last year, they weren’t expected to come within a possession of advancing to the Super Bowl.
They accomplished all of this while winning their first division title since 1993 and their first playoff win since the 1991 season. Their two playoff wins this year were their most in a single postseason since they won their last championship back in 1957.
While the loss to the Niners certainly still stings – as Goff admits – the Lions made major strides for a franchise that hadn’t been to the playoffs since the 2016 season. In the process of making their deepest postseason run in over three decades, Goff led the Lions to a clutch victory over his former team, the Rams, in the wild card round of the playoffs.
The win was not only notable due to the Lions’ franchise history, but because of Goff’s own history with the Rams. Despite leading Los Angeles to a Super Bowl during his time with the Rams – along with three playoff appearances during his four full seasons as starter – he was traded to the Lions in exchange for Matthew Stafford.
Goff has obviously developed into one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL since his arrival in Detroit, posting back-to-back seasons of at least 29 touchdowns and 4,400 passing yards. But Stafford also won a Super Bowl in his first season as Rams starter.
Despite being traded by the Rams just a couple seasons prior, Goff stresses that winning the game was about the Lions — and not about him beating his former team.
“The emotions were there at times,” Goff admits. “I think once the game kicked off, it was just a regular game. It was so much more about — and I’ve said this so many times — but they made it about me and them and everything with this trade. But it was so much more about our team getting our first playoff win in 30-something years. That’s so much bigger than anything that had do with me.”
Goff says it wasn’t about getting “revenge” on the Rams, but about getting a playoff win for Detroit.
“It wasn’t some sort of revenge game,” says Goff. “For me, it was about getting a playoff win for our team.”
With the Lions shedding the label of playoff losers this postseason, it’s obviously time for Detroit to take the next step.
While the biggest topic surrounding the team will be Goff’s future with the team – he’s entering the final year of his deal at just a $21.7 million base salary, a bargain considering his production and age – the return of Johnson as offensive coordinator ensures the Lions will be a threat for a Super Bowl again entering next season.
According to BetMGM’s odds for next season, the Lions are tied for the fourth-best betting odds to win the Super Bowl.
Johnson completed interviews with multiple NFC teams including the likes of the Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons. However, one of the hottest coaching candidates is returning to the Lions after leading Detroit to a top-five offensive ranking in 2023
“Huge,” Goff says of the impact of Johnson’s return. “He did have some opportunities and I think ultimately for him, the best place is Detroit. We love that, so it’s exciting for me, it’s exciting for the offense and our whole team.”
Head coach Dan Campbell faced some criticism following the Niners loss due to a couple of decisions that saw the Lions go for it on fourth down – rather than kick field goals – resulting in Detroit failing both times.
