Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell admitted he felt "awful" for not giving quarterback Jared Goff a game ball after Goff remarkably completed 18-of-18 pass attempts for 292 yards with two touchdowns in Monday night's 42-29 win over the Seattle Seahawks that improved Detroit to 3-1 on the season.
Campbell spoke with reporters on Tuesday and revealed he righted that wrong.
"Yeah, we did, we found one," Campbell said about locating a game ball for Goff, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. "Yes, we did. And look, normally what we do is, I'll give out an immediate game ball afterward, and then normally we always have another one or two that show up when we do it here the day after the game, after a win."
Campbell apparently didn't realize Goff went a perfect 18-for-18 passing and instead handed game balls to wide receiver Jameson Williams and safety Kerby Joseph shortly after the victory. Williams recorded a 70-yard receiving touchdown, while Joseph tallied a team-high nine tackles and an interception.
"That was an easy one to get him that one," Campbell added about presenting Goff with a well-deserved award. "It's a great job. And [offensive coordinator] Ben [Johnson] still got his, too."
Goff received a four-year contract extension that included $170M guaranteed and could be worth up to $212M from the Lions this past offseason. Thus far, he has done well to help his club meet the expectations that hovered over it throughout the summer.
According to Pro Football Reference, Goff ended Week 4 of the season ranked fourth in the NFL with a 71.0% completion percentage, fifth with a 51.1% passing success rate and fifth with 1,015 passing yards. He tossed five touchdown passes and four interceptions across Detroit's first four contests.
For a piece published Tuesday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared how Goff said over the summer that he wants to convince the Lions that paying the signal-caller along with All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown during the offseason was "the best decision they ever made." As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Lions second among the betting favorites at +500 odds to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX.
Goff and his teammates will look like absolute bargains if they guide the club to that February matchup. For now, the Lions will enjoy their Week 5 bye before they get ready to play at the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 13.
