TRENDING:Lions win first NFC Championship Game under Goff’s leadership. A victory over the 49ers on Sunday would balance the Rams’ trade.

Although Jared Goff was the first selection of the Rams in the 2016 NFL Draft, Goff never seemed to gain the trust or support of his teammates or coaches while he was in St. Louis and then Los Angeles.

Goff led the Rams to three postseason appearances and the Pro Bowl twice in his five seasons with the team. They advanced to the 2018 Super Bowl, but were defeated 13-3 by Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Sean McVay didn’t think the Rams could win a Super Bowl with Goff starting as quarterback after that game.

Goff has done admirably for Coach Dan Campbell’s system after joining the Detroit Lions in a blockbuster deal for Matthew Stafford. He just needs one more win to make it back to the Super Bowl—the team’s first in the Motor City.

Goff had expressed to ESPN his upset feelings over the move and his belief that the Rams abandoned up on him too soon. Ever since, he’s been playing with a chip on his shoulder.

I believe it will always be a part of me,” Goff said to ESPN in 2024. “and I think that’s a good thing.”

Michael Brockers, his colleague for the Rams and later the Lions, believed at the time that the Rams had received a superior bargain. That seemed debatable at the time because Stafford had won the Super Bowl in his first season with the Rams.

“Is it level up?” According to Brockers, Sports Illustrated. “I really believe that just by knowing what Stafford provides, he is superior to Goff. It’s an advancement.

It happened then, and it happens now.

The Lions are mostly traveling to San Francisco to play the 49ers in the Super Bowl, which will take place in Las Vegas two weeks from Sunday, because of his right arm.

In the NFC Wild Card round, the Lions overcame the Rams in a battle of former quarterbacks. Goff and the Lions managed to win by a slim margin of 24-23. Goff completed 22 of 27 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown, demonstrating his remarkable accuracy. He escaped being intercepted.

In terms of statistics, Stafford won the game, but as they say, those are for losers. Despite throwing for 2 touchdowns and 367 yards, Stafford’s team lost.

The Lions made it through and went on.

During the 2023 regular season, Goff completed 30 touchdown passes to his Lions teammates while throwing for 4,575 yards. His passing score at the end of the year was 97.9.

“It speaks well of all the folks working there. We’ve stated a million times that this gang is the same.” Goff stated following last week’s Divisional Round victory over the Buccaneers. Many of the same players are back, and Lions general manager Brad Holmes and Dan have made a deliberate effort to add players who can handle highs and lows like this one as well as last week’s. I believe that they have done everything on purpose, and our presence here is not coincidental.”