Jared Goff Is ‘Spectacular’ — So Why Does Every Compliment Come With a ‘But’?
Jared Goff is putting up historic numbers and sitting top-three in the MVP race, yet somehow every bit of praise comes with an asterisk. The Lions quarterback can’t catch a clean compliment even when he’s playing some of the best football of his career.
Jared Goff has been spectacular. Top-three in the MVP race. Part of the greatest four-game quarterback stretch in NFL history by the numbers. And yet — there’s always a “yet” — even his own supporters can’t stop qualifying everything.
The Bucs game. That’s the knock. The Lions aren’t undefeated because Goff didn’t play well in that loss. Fair enough. But here’s the thing: we’re not talking about whether Goff deserves his contract or if he’s a franchise quarterback. We’re talking about MVP of the entire league. And at that level, yeah, you nitpick.
Except the nitpicking only seems to flow one direction.
The Patrick Mahomes Double Standard
Josh Allen has been a turnover machine for years. This season? Zero picks. That’s wild. But nobody’s out here throwing asterisks on his MVP case the way they do with Goff.
And Mahomes? The guy gets treated like he walks on water. Three-time Super Bowl MVP, sure. Two-time champion, absolutely. But when’s the last time anyone said “Mahomes is great, BUT…” and then pointed to a bad game?
Goff plays spectacular football for weeks on end, and somehow the conversation always drifts back to that one Bucs loss. Meanwhile, Mahomes gets called the best quarterback who has ever walked the earth — present tense, no qualifiers, no buts.
That’s not analysis. That’s bias dressed up as objectivity.
The Backhanded Compliment Problem
Here’s the pattern: “Goff is spectacular.” Great start. “He’s top-three in MVP voting.” Even better. But then — always then — someone throws in the “but.” The qualifier. The one bad game that apparently erases the historic stretch.
It’s the Lions disease. Detroit players have to prove themselves twice as hard just to get half the credit. Goff could throw for 400 yards and four touchdowns on Sunday and by Monday someone would be pointing out he missed a checkdown in the second quarter.
Meanwhile, Brady and Mahomes go head-to-head in the playoffs and Mahomes loses, but somehow that doesn’t become a permanent asterisk on his resume. Funny how that works.
Just Say He’s Good
Goff is having one of the best seasons of his career. The Lions are legit Super Bowl contenders. The numbers don’t lie — this is historic quarterback play.
So here’s a crazy idea: just say it. No buts. No qualifiers. No “he’s great, except for that one game three weeks ago.”
Jared Goff is spectacular. Period. The MVP conversation should reflect that without the constant need to knock him down while building him up.
Detroit’s been waiting for a quarterback like this forever. Maybe it’s time to actually appreciate him without the asterisks.
The Takeaways
- Goff is top-three in MVP voting and part of a historically great four-game stretch, yet every compliment comes with a qualifier
- Mahomes and Allen don’t get the same ‘but’ treatment that Goff consistently receives
- The Lions’ Super Bowl hopes are real — maybe it’s time to give Goff credit without the asterisks
Watch the full segment on YouTube: Sam’s Backhanded Compliments about Jared Goff
