A few years ago, it would have been crazy to think Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff could set the all-time record for passes without an interception. Goff entered Week 2 on the brink of breaking the record set by Aaron Rodgers when he played for the Green Bay Packers.
What Is the All-Time Record for Passes Thrown Without an INT?
Aaron Rodgers, who owns the record, went 402 pass attempts without throwing an interception. In 2018, with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers threw an interception in Week 5 against the Lions and did not throw another one until his 35th pass attempt against the Chicago Bears in Week 15.
Rodgers went 10 full games without an interception during the streak and threw 16 touchdown passes. He broke Tom Brady’s record of 358 set with the New England Patriots in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Brady had another streak of 399 pass attempts in 2022 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
How Close Was Goff From the Record?
Entering Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, Goff had gone 359 pass attempts without an interception and was 43 attempts away from tying Rodgers’ record. Goff said this week about the streak, “You guys are talking about it way too much,” according to the Detroit Free Press. This is a lot like a pitcher with a no-hitter late in a baseball game.
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Goff’s last interception before today was in the third quarter of a Week 9 game against the Packers last season. He went the final nine games without throwing an interception and threw 15 touchdown passes. The Lions went 8-2 to finish the season. Last week, Goff completed 22 of 35 pass attempts with a touchdown pass against the Chiefs in the Week 1 win.
Goff’s streak without an interception ended in the worst possible way. The Lions were trailing the Seahawks by three in the fourth quarter when Tre Brown intercepted Goff’s pass and returned it for a touchdown.
Second year in a row with a pick six in Detroit. 😏
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/Fg9PT01ARC
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 17, 2023
Goff’s streak reached 383 passes without an interception. He was 19 passes away from tying Rodgers for the all-time record. Goff will have to settle for third on the list behind Rodgers and Brady.
Why Is It Surprising Goff Had This Streak?
Goff was selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. He helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl in 2018 and had 55 interceptions in 69 games with them throughout his tenure in L.A. He had three seasons with at least 12 interceptions.
After his fifth season, Los Angeles traded Goff to Detroit in a blockbuster trade that featured quarterback Matthew Stafford going to the Rams. With Detroit, Goff has shown dramatic improvement, throwing 15 interceptions in 32 games. His interception percentage has dropped to 1.3% with the Lions compared to 2.3% with the Rams.
