Does Jared Goff need Ben Johnson less than Johnson needs Goff?
At least for this week, the answer leans that way after Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff put together a dazzling effort to power Detroit past the Chicago Bears and his former coordinator, 52-21.
The Lions and Goff wasted no time, both on the ground and through the air, immediately marching downfield for an opening-drive score against Johnson’s Bears. Before Goff even found the end zone himself, backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery had already secured rushing touchdowns.
In front of an electric Ford Field crowd, Goff was unstoppable, completing 23 of 28 passes for 334 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. His 156.0 passer rating narrowly missed his third career perfect outing, which would have placed him among just six quarterbacks with three such games.
Per Detroit Lions PR on X, Goff matched an NFL record with his second career outing of at least 300 yards, 80% completions, and a passer rating of 155.0. He also extended his team mark with 14 straight games throwing a touchdown against division opponents, including nine consecutive versus Chicago.
Fans can now exhale, as Detroit lands at a familiar 1-1 record for the fourth straight season. The offense resembled its prolific 2023 version, with crucial contributions from the line and wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. St. Brown caught three scores, while Williams and tight end Brock Wright snagged the other two.
This 31-point thrashing of Chicago stood in stark contrast to Week 1’s 27-13 loss to Green Bay, where Goff and new coordinator John Morton faced heavy criticism for a sluggish, uninspired attack that lacked explosive plays.
For now, Detroit fans can rest easy knowing Goff and the offense appear perfectly capable without Johnson.
Not only did Goff rise to the moment against his former coach, but he also etched his name deeper into team history. With his third touchdown toss, he passed Hall of Famer Bobby Layne’s 118 for second-most in franchise history, reaching 121 in 30 fewer games.
Catching Matthew Stafford’s 282 won’t happen quickly, as Goff still trails by 161, though he holds a higher TD rate (5.3%) than Stafford (4.5%), slightly behind Layne’s 5.4%.
Goff surpassed Layne in career passing yards last season, leaving him top two in almost every statistical category in team history. While regular-season victories aren’t all his yet, he just tied Greg Landry with 40, good for third-most in franchise annals.
Games like this one remind everyone why the Lions acquired Goff in 2021 and rewarded him with an extension in 2024. Coming off a top-five MVP finish last season, Goff once again looked every bit like one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks on Sunday.
