We have our first shock result of the playoffs as the Super Bowl favorites, the Detriot Lions bowed out early in the divisional round losing to the Commanders. The home team lost 45-31 and while the defense had no answer all night, Jared Goff’s mistakes compounded their problems.
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He had a torrid day in the middle, turning the ball over four times. Shannon Sharpe dissected the Lions’ loss on Nightcap, placing the blame on Goff.
“When your defense is a little sus with all those injuries, the last thing you can do is turn the ball with over. You definitely can’t turn it over 4 times. You played double.”
Goff threw for 313 yards, completing only 57.5 percent of his passes. He had one TD pass and four critical turnovers, which included three interceptions and one fumble. One of his picks was a pick-six, while the fumble gave the Commanders a short field to get a TD.
Mike Sainristil intercepted his pass in the end zone which was intended for Jameson Williams. The Lions were in the red zone and could have scored on that crucial drive.
Shannon pointed out that Detroit’s defense had no answers for Washington’s high-scoring offense. Jayden Daniels threw for 299 yards and 2 TDs. They had almost 500 yards of offense on the night and punted the ball only once.
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Ocho agreed with Sharpe, stressing the need for Goff to play better in clutch games. He pointed out that the Lions’ defense was already down to bare bones, leaving the team with only a few playmakers. The only way they were going to win was through their offense but not when your QB turns the ball over repeatedly.
“Obviously the Lions lost and Goff has to play better, with the defense being held together by duct tape. Basically, they have third-stringers out there. They have a few playmakers and that’s pretty much it. Goff has to understand that in order to you have a winning chance, you can’t turn the ball over. You just can’t.”
Ocho pointed out that Jayden Daniels is the reason why franchises invest so much in getting their franchise QBs. One player can turn the fortunes around, like he has for the Commanders.
The Lions turned the ball over but it was the Commanders’ offense led by the rookie that was able to capitalize on the mistakes.
As for Jared Goff, he has nowhere to look but at himself and take the blame for the gut-wrenching loss. Both Sharpe and Ocho agreed that Goff’s game was off today
While the Lions will keep most of their players together for a few more seasons, they now risk losing both Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. No one knows how the team will adapt to that and what their offense will look like next season. Their Super Bowl drought continues while the Commanders head to their first NFC Championship game in 33 years.
