Jared Goff did what any good team leader would do.
He looked at the stat sheet following the Lions 24-6 loss to the Dallas Cowboys Sunday and took responsibility for the loss because of his two interceptions and two lost fumbles.
“Starts with me,” Goff said. “We take care of the ball today, we probably win. Your character is revealed in moments of adversity, and we’ve certainly been through our fair share the last couple years. And this time is no different. Gotta allow them to see who I am and keep fighting.”
Despite his goofs, Goff is not to blame for the Lions fourth straight loss. The Lions lost this game five years ago because of bad management and an ill culture that can’t be fixed. This is a team that does just enough to lose.
The Lions (1-5) could not win when Goff and his offense were clicking on all cylinders.
The Lions could not win when their putrid defense turned solid.
No more surprises
The Lions no longer surprise you and win games out of the blue against good teams. Here, let me take a moment for younger readers. The Lions used to be a team that finished around .500 and would shock the world with a Monday Night win over the Dallas Cowboy after losing to a previously winless team.
Now they just lose to the good, the bad and the ugly no matter the time, date or location.
The last head coach to have a winning record was Jim Caldwell (36-28). He was fairly criticized for a 4-25 record against winning teams. Since he was fired after the 2017 season, the Lions are 18-51-2 (.260-win percentage). They are trending toward a Caldwell-like 3-17-1 record against winning teams.
Yes, Goff suffered through another uneven game against Dallas. However, he did not lose this game. Lions culture lost this game. Lions’ expectations lost this game.
The Lions do what they do. It does not matter if the quarterback is great or pathetic. It does not matter if the defense is trending from being the worst in history into being pretty stout. The Lions lose.
Goff will learn not to beat himself up so badly after losses. He could pass for 400 yards and four touchdowns. But all that would be negated by another bout of anemic defense, another poor coaching decision by Coach Dan Campbell or a 70-yard field goal bouncing off the crossbar.
