The Detroit Lions are set for their fifth game of the season this Sunday, October 5, in what’s shaping up to be a high-pressure matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. Detroit enters at 3-1, while the Bengals sit at 2-2, but one major advantage for the Lions is that Cincinnati will be missing star quarterback Joe Burrow, who’s out through at least early December. That certainly helps Detroit’s chances, but nothing’s guaranteed, so the Lions will need to execute well if they want to walk away with a 4-1 record after this one.
They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, and that fits perfectly here—because Lions quarterback Jared Goff has quite a history with the Bengals’ head coach. That connection might give their coach some insight into Goff’s style and tendencies, but it’s nothing that should cause too much concern.
In the days leading up to Sunday’s matchup, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor opened up about his long-standing connection with Goff. As it turns out, the two go back years, and Taylor knows the Detroit signal-caller extremely well.
Bengals Coach Reflects on Time Coaching Jared Goff
Taylor has spent the week discussing the Lions and their offensive strengths, while also revisiting his past coaching experience with Goff. Back in 2018, Taylor served as the quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Rams — during Goff’s time there.
“I’ve got a ton of respect for what Dan (Campbell) and his staff do offensively,” Taylor said on Wednesday, October 1. “I coached Jared (Goff) for two years and have a lot of admiration for him.”
He added, “It’s going to be a big challenge, and there’s some mental preparation our guys have to nail early this week. So, when we get to the physical reps Thursday and Friday, we’ve got to make them count since there’ll be fewer than usual. I’ve got full faith our players can handle that.”
With Burrow sidelined, backup quarterback Jake Browning has taken the reins, completing 64 percent of his passes while throwing three touchdowns and five interceptions. Taylor expressed confidence in his replacement, saying, “I feel extremely confident in Jake Browning” heading into the Lions game.
Detroit Lions Rising in the NFL Landscape
The NFL’s Week 5 power rankings, released Tuesday, September 30, show the Lions holding strong at No. 3, according to Eric Edholm.
“Detroit wasn’t lights-out offensively against Cleveland, but no one has been this season,” Edholm noted. Even so, it’s the second time in four games that the Lions have been somewhat limited on offense, despite doing well protecting the football. The five offensive penalties were uncharacteristic, and the team is still fine-tuning the chemistry between Jared Goff and Jameson Williams.
He added, “The Lions have enough depth and playmakers to win a game like Sunday’s. Their defense and special teams did the job in a contest that stood 20-10 entering the fourth quarter. Tougher tests are coming before the Week 8 bye, but while there’s no reason to panic, Dan Campbell’s squad still has a few details to clean up.”
We trust that Campbell and company will tighten those screws in time for Sunday’s showdown. Go Detroit.
