The final stretch of the NFL season looks challenging for the Detroit Lions, who have been performing excellently so far. One of the standout players on this team is undoubtedly their QB Jared Goff. However, HC Dan Campbell has a strong opinion regarding the MVP race.
The matchup against the Buffalo Bills will feature two of the best players in their position: Goff will go head-to-head with none other than Josh Allen, two serious contenders for this season’s MVP. Despite this situation, Campbell knows that individual trophies often come after team achievements.
The Lions’ head coach spoke with the media ahead of one of the most important matchups for his team in the final stretch of the season. When asked about Goff’s goal of winning the MVP trophy, his coach was blunt: “I guarantee you, that’s not Goff’s focus,” he said.
“Winning the MVP, that’s icing on the cake, but I know for us, man, if you just focus on the win and what it’s going to take to win this game and whatever comes out of that, the individual accolades will follow. You’ll turn around and look back and you’ll realize, ‘All right, this is what’s transpired because we’ve won.’ So I’m not worried about it, he’s not worried about it, we’ve just got to find a way to win,” Campbell finally concluded.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks to Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) during the Detroit Lions versus the Green Bay Packers game on Thursday December 5, 2024 at Ford Field in Detroit, MI.
With just four games remaining, the Lions will face the Bills in a matchup between Super Bowl contenders. A victory here would undoubtedly bring the top seed in the NFC closer, a race they are currently battling with the Eagles.
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Goff, the MVP of his teammates
While Jared Goff is focused on securing a spot in the upcoming Super Bowl, most of his teammates on the Lions believe the QB undoubtedly deserves the MVP for his performance throughout the season.
“Goff is definitely MVP,” Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III said. “I mean, what else is there to think about as far as a quarterback on a winning team? It’s a quarterback on a winning team and no matter how you slice it up, the proof is in the pudding. The quarterback is the head of the snake and if you’re successful it’s cause of him in some capacity, so he’s the one executing the offense, he’s the one leading them boys up and down the field. Making throws. Consistent. That would be my vote, maybe I’m biased but (expletive) that’s how I feel.”
However, for the quarterback himself, the award is for the entire team: “Sure, I’ve been playing well,” he said. “But a lot of guys have been playing well, though. If you’re a quarterback on a good team, you’re probably going to be in that conversation and it’s a credit to all the guys on the squad. We’ve had a really good year up to this point, we’ve got to finish it off. Sure, it’s cool to be recognized in some ways but it doesn’t really mean anything. I want to be holding that trophy at the end of the year, and I know that’s what matters.”
Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions scrambles against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Ford Field on November 24, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan.
The QB is aware of how to keep moving forward this season
As the weeks go by, the final stretch of this NFL season is getting closer, and with it, the goals of all teams are beginning to take shape. Regarding this situation, Jared Goff issued a strong warning to his Lions teammates before the playoffs and Super Bowl push.
“We haveto keep winning,” Goff said, as quoted by Pro Football Talk. “We’d love to say at 12-1 our division’s wrapped up, but it’s not even close. We’ve got two teams on our heels that are pushing us pretty hard. We’ve got to keep winning. I’m sure they’re just waiting for us to lose.”
