Week 10’s Sunday Night Football game between the Detroit Lions and Houston Texans was nothing short of unusual. Trailing 23-7 at halftime, the Lions roared back (no pun intended) to secure a 26-23 victory, thanks to a Jake Bates field goal and despite quarterback Jared Goff throwing a career-high five interceptions.
Nothing seemed to go right for the nine-year veteran, who has been an early MVP candidate this season. Goff has guided the Lions to seven straight wins, including last night’s victory over the Texans, by being one of the most accurate passers in the NFL. Only Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, with a 72.7% completion rate as of this writing, surpasses Goff’s now 71.8%. That could very well change after the Dolphins Monday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
“I had some unfortunate things early, but I’ve been through a whole lot worse than that,” Goff said, per ESPN. “Mentally, I’ve been to the bottom. Some unlucky plays aren’t going to throw me off my game.”
After Goff’s shaky performance on Sunday night, some Lions fans may feel a bit unsettled, wondering if this was merely a bad game or a sign of things to come. All things considered, it’s likely his performance was just an off night and nothing more.
The Texans had extra rest facing the Lions
The Texans had their advantages in Sunday night’s game. For one, they hosted the Lions in the comfort of their own stadium. Additionally, Houston benefited from extra rest following their Halloween night matchup against the Jets on Thursday. Given the length and grind of the season, any additional recovery time is a clear advantage for any team.
Meanwhile, the Lions were playing their fifth consecutive game since their Week 5 bye and were in their fourth road game in five weeks, with stops in Dallas, Minnesota, Green Bay, and finally Houston on Sunday. That schedule gave the Texans plenty of time to prepare for the Lions’ offensive attack led by Goff.
Jared Goff and Lions faced one of the NFL’s best passing defenses against Texans
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) attempts a pass during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Goff likely could have faced the best passing defense he’ll face all year when he and the Lions took on the Texans. Houston came in to Sunday night’s game with the No. 3 ranked passing defense that had allowed 167.4 yards per game. Not only that, they were ranked No. 1 in opposing quarterbacks completion percentage with 54.4% and tied for second in interceptions with the Lions with 13.
Goff definitely gave the Texans their season-best in interceptions but he hasn’t been the only quarterback to throw for multiple interceptions. Caleb Williams, Jordan Love and Drake Maye all threw at least two picks against Houston. But here’s a really crazy stat. Goff’s 50% completion percentage wasn’t the worst for a quarterback against Houston this season. That falls on Josh Allen, who completed just 30% of his passes, going 9-for-30 with 131 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 23-20 loss to the Texans. Goff was the fifth quarter back this season Houston held to a 50% or worse completion percentage.
So, yeah, Goff isn’t the only one who’s had a bad game against the Texans defense this season.
Jared Goff has never had a five interception game before
As noted, this was Goff’s first-ever five-interception game. In his nine-year career, Goff has had 21 games with multiple interceptions, with his second-highest total of four dating back to December 9, 2018, when he was with the Rams, per Stat Muse. He has only two games with three interceptions.
While Goff has thrown his fair share of interceptions, his single-season high is 16. He’s hit double digits in interceptions four times in his career, most recently last season with 12. His best season total is seven, a mark he’s reached three times. Until last night’s humbling performance, the 30-year-old hadn’t thrown an interception in his last five games and had just four on the season.
When you consider everything Goff has around him—arguably the best team he’s been a part of in his career—there’s really no reason to worry about any regression. Games like this, while far from ideal, happen even to some of the league’s best players. Goff has the talent, skill set, supporting cast, and coaching to rebound from this one rough outing, preventing it from spiraling into anything that could derail the Lions’ season.
This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.
