It’s not easy for an NFL offense to earn the respect of Bill Belichick, who believes he has the defensive answers to most tests. But the Detroit Lions have done just that after leading the league in scoring while earning a 6-1 record in the first eight weeks.
Let’s look at Belichick’s recent praise for the Lions and quarterback Jared Goff.
Bill Belichick Hails Lions Offense in Conversation With Jared Goff
Goff joined Belichick on Monday’s episode of the “Let’s Go!” podcast. The appearance occurred a day after Goff led Detroit to a dominating 52-14 home win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 8.
“It’s impossible, I think, for a defense to stop your offense,” Belichick told Goff. “There are too many weapons, the offensive line is too good, blitzing isn’t the answer, not blitzing is not the answer.
“I think you’ve just gotta, playing you guys — to me, would be just, hang on and try to create as many long and long situations as possible. But that’s hard because you have so many explosive players, and you do such a good job of distributing the ball.”
Belichick to Goff: "It's impossible, I think, for a defense to really stop the [@Lions] offense." #OnePride 🔥🔥 @JaredGoff16 joins Bill and @JimGrayOfficial on this week's all-new "Let's Go!"
DOWNLOAD & SUBSCRIBE 🔗 https://t.co/xZf5J1T80V pic.twitter.com/pETbGIle9M
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) October 29, 2024
Belichick had no problem stopping Goff in Super Bowl LIII when the New England Patriots dominated the Los Angeles Rams in a 13-3 victory. But Goff has been a different quarterback since joining the Lions, who’ve enabled the 2016 No. 1 overall pick to play to his strengths.
“Getting the ball to the guys, not forcing it, taking the checkdowns,” Belichick said. “Your checkdowns are more dangerous sometimes. You can throw the ball 15 yards downfield, and your receiver gets tackled, or you can throw a five-yard checkdown and turn it into a 30-yard run.
“So, making good decisions and getting the ball to the guys that are open, taking what the defense gives you.”
Now let’s look at some of the numbers behind the dominance of Detroit’s offense.
Stats Behind Lions Offense’s Excellent Start
Goff is off to a Pro Bowl-caliber start this season.
Through eight weeks, he ranks 10th in yards per game (242.1), first in completion percentage (74.1%), eighth in touchdowns (13), and second in passer rating (115.3), per TruMedia. He also has thrown just four interceptions.
Goff currently owns this season’s sixth-highest Pro Football Network QB+ metric grade (71.4). He also owns the highest single-game grade (94.8 in Week 4), a mark that ranks as the third-highest in our database since 2019.
So, yeah, Goff has been pretty good. However, his supporting cast and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson also deserve a ton of credit.
NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 9 using the PFN Power Ranking+ Metric 💥
This metric combines our internal Offense+ and Defense+ metrics, sprinkles in some special teams, and then applies a level of correction for the strength of schedule a team has played.
Those are the… pic.twitter.com/fXTTA5mPSe
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 29, 2024
The Lions rank first in offensive points per game at 33.4. They also rank 11th in passing yards per game (228.4) and sixth in rushing yards (156.7).
The advanced metrics paint a similar picture.
Detroit ranks fourth in total offensive expected points added, fourth in yards per play (6.3), third in net yards per pass attempt, fourth in first downs per game, seventh in third-down percentage, seventh in red-zone efficiency, and sixth in explosive plays.
The Lions’ offensive line has led the way. The group has allowed pressure on just 35.6% of dropbacks and is arguably the best run-blocking unit in the NFL.
No matter how you slice it, Detroit’s offense is among the NFL’s most consistent and dangerous. The Lions will look to continue rolling this Sunday when they visit the Green Bay Packers in a pivotal NFC North matchup.