Lions vs. Vikings: Is Jared Goff the antidote to blitz-happy Minnesota defense?
The old scouting report on Jared Goff was that he would crumble under the weight of a heavy pass rush and break down if the pocket around him collapsed. That was the prevailing narrative after his dismal showing in a Super Bowl 53 loss to the New England Patriots, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
But there was the Detroit Lions' star quarterback in the second quarter of a Week 7 battle against the Minnesota Vikings, facing down a defense designed by the NFL’s most aggressive coordinator, Brian Flores.
Flores, the Patriots' de facto play-caller during Goff's Super Bowl flop, had just dialed up a Cover Zero look. Safety Harrison Smith crept toward the line of scrimmage, joining six teammates preparing to invade the Lions’ backfield. Seconds later, Goff dropped back behind an offensive line under attack and launched a pass downfield to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was streaking up the seam.
A split-second later the ball arrived in St. Brown’s hands, and he coasted into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown. The big strike was one of 11 pass attempts Goff threw under pressure that afternoon. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he completed 10 of them for 164 yards and two scores before the Lions secured a last-minute 31-29 comeback win.
“The guy was a No. 1 pick for a reason,” Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “He’s been super talented throwing the football and here he is entering Year 9, and he’s got all of these banked reps from L.A. and now Detroit, and they all add up. The defense is moving slower, he knows where his eyes need to go, he knows what he’s trying to do.”
Because of that, there is no longer any concern about whether Goff can withstand the heat that will assuredly be applied to him when the Vikings visit Ford Field this Sunday to play a winner-take-all showdown for the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The expectation is that Goff, one of seven Lions named to the Pro Bowl on Thursday, will be able to execute Johnson’s calls even if he’s under siege and the protective bubble around him bursts. Goff has one of the fastest release times in the NFL, getting the ball out of his right hand in 2.7 seconds on average. He is also supported by St. Brown, the All-Pro receiver who is one of the most reliable safety valves in the league. When things get hot, St. Brown is there to provide relief.
“They have a deep connection, which is good,” right guard Kevin Zeitler told the Free Press. “That’s good when you have somebody you trust, especially when you know things might need (to move fast) or a play needs to be made.”
Case in point: The final drive against the Vikings 10½ weeks ago. With less than 90 seconds remaining in regulation and the Lions on the cusp of field-goal range, head coach Dan Campbell pushed the envelope, yearning to make a deeper incursion into Vikings territory. A play-action pass was called that Flores countered with a five-man rush. Following the fake, Goff rifled a 14-yard pass to St. Brown that pushed Detroit to the edge of the red zone. Four plays later, Jake Bates sent a 44-yard try through the uprights, lifting the Lions to a win that vaulted them into a tie for first place in the NFC North.
As Johnson reflected on that win Thursday, he noted that Goff is “doing a nice job finding those outlets. And St. (Brown) has found a way to be that guy over the last couple years.”
Then Johnson paused.
“It’ll take all hand on deck, though, with this crew,” he continued. “I know he’ll throw something at us that we haven’t seen.”
Johnson was referring to Flores, of course. Since Wink Martindale left the pros last offseason and signed up to run Michigan football’s defense, Flores has taken the mantle as the most blitz-happy coordinator in the NFL. The Vikings have sent extra rushers on 38% of all dropbacks, the highest rate in the league.
Flores, who commands a unit that has surrendered the second-fewest points in the NFC, sets up his pressure packages with pre-snap disguises and tricky coverages while rotating safeties from front to back and back to front. Man turns to zone. Zone dissolves into man. Some defenders encroach from the second and third levels. Others drop back from the front. The moving parts set up a scene that center Frank Ragnow said can only be described in one word.
“Chaotic, man,” Ragnow blurted.
“They try to confuse you,” St. Brown added.
After Minnesota held San Francisco to 17 points in a Week 2 victory, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy sidled up to Flores after the game and told him, “Your scheme is crazy.”
But Goff found a way to overcome it in the first meeting between the Lions and Vikings this season. Despite being blitzed on 17 of his 29 dropbacks, Goff connected on 22 of 25 pass attempts for 280 yards and two touchdowns. The performance may have provided the most convincing evidence of his evolution as a pro, demonstrating his marked transformation from a quarterback who once succumbed to Flores' pressure tactics into one who thrived when confronted with them.
“He’s recently just grooving,” Ragnow said. “Really has good command. I think he’s seeing the field really well, understands the offense really well. Coach Johnson does a great job of giving him the answers. … It’s cool being able to play with a guy like that.”
It’s also pretty fun to coach him, as Campbell explained.
“This is a different Jared Goff now," Campbell said earlier this week. "This guy has developed and matured.”
Should Goff again foil Flores’ best-laid plans, the rest of the nation will see once more how far he has truly come.