‘He’s a dog’: Lions backfield insists Jared Goff is the leader they trust
Detroit Lions running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have heard the outside criticism of Jared Goff’s skills and abilities. Both wanted to set the record straight on how vital he is to the team’s success.
Last week, The Pivot Podcast -- hosted by former NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor -- visited Detroit’s joint practice with the Miami Dolphins as part of its training camp tour. The trio sat down with the Lions’ backfield for an hour-long conversation that included a question about what Goff means to the organization.
“Everything,” Montgomery told the hosts. “It sounds cliché, but it’s real... everybody don’t really know that JG really got some (expletive) to him.
“… that’s who I want leading the troops. It’s a lot of great quarterbacks. JG is a dog, and he is a great quarterback. And I think for him, it’s kind of similar to me. I think he don’t get enough credit, or people don’t talk about him enough, or he not good enough. So that fueled him so much, not even to prove everybody wrong, but to prove himself right. And I see that out of him all the time. I respect him.”
Gibbs echoed Montgomery’s sentiments, pointing out the unfair criticism of Goff for having a strong supporting cast that includes receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, along with tight end Sam LaPorta.
“Yeah, JG is a dog, man. He is everything to this team,” Gibbs said. “Without him, I don’t know where we’d be. But as he said, (Goff) doesn’t get enough credit.
“They be saying the weapons around him, like, he got to throw the ball. What do you mean? He was going crazy today (against the Dolphins). But that’s my dog, bro. I’d do anything for him.”
While Goff’s first season in Detroit was a struggle, he has since become a central piece of the Lions’ turnaround.
Over the past three years -- all winning seasons, including two playoff appearances, a pair of postseason victories in 2023, and a trip to the NFC Championship -- Goff has been at the core of Detroit’s success.
During that stretch, he has averaged a 68.1% completion rate, 4,547 passing yards, and 32 touchdowns per season with a 102.7 passer rating.
In 2023, Goff was an MVP finalist while helping lead the Lions to a franchise-best 15-2 record. He finished second in the NFL in completion percentage (72.4%), passer rating (111.8), passing yards (4,629), and yards per attempt (8.59), while ranking fourth in touchdown passes (37).
Goff also became the first player in NFL history to complete at least 72% of his passes and throw for more than 4,500 yards in a single season.
