Jared Goff at 14th? ESPN Just Disrespected Our Quarterback Again
We have officially reached that special time of year when national media outlets remind us exactly how little they think of the Detroit Lions. This week’s offender? ESPN’s Mina Kimes and Ben Solak, who decided to conduct a quarterback draft and somehow landed Jared Goff at 14th overall.
Yes, you read that right. Fourteenth.
Their draft was based on expectations for the next three seasons, ignoring contracts and supporting casts. Just pure talent evaluation, they claimed. And somehow, with those parameters, they slotted Goff behind NFC North quarterbacks Caleb Williams at eighth and Jordan Love at ninth.
The Pressure Problem That Isn’t Really a Problem
Ben Solak’s reasoning for dropping Goff so low? His supposed inability to handle pressure.
“When Goff was pressured [last season], he died,” Solak said. “When he was unpressured, he was pretty solid relative to what I thought he’d be post-Ben Johnson. Second-highest delta in terms of EPA per dropback from pressure to non-pressure.”
Here’s the thing about pressure statistics. Every quarterback performs worse under pressure. That’s why it’s called pressure. But context matters, and context is something national analysts seem allergic to when discussing Detroit.
Goff has produced arguably top-five numbers in most basic passing statistics. He has led this offense through back-to-back playoff appearances. He has shown up in the biggest moments when this franchise needed him most.
The Disrespect Continues
This is nothing new for Lions fans. We have watched Goff get overlooked and undervalued for years now, even as he continues to produce at an elite level. The national media seems determined to view him through the lens of his Rams tenure rather than acknowledging what he has become in Detroit.
Maybe it’s easier to stick with outdated narratives than admit you might have been wrong about a quarterback who has quietly become one of the most effective passers in the league. Maybe it’s just typical Detroit disrespect dressed up in analytical language.
Either way, Goff will do what he always does. Show up, produce, and let his play speak louder than whatever ranking some talking heads want to give him.
Do you think Goff belongs in the top 10, or are we just being homer fans who can’t see straight? Let me know in the comments below.
