The Detroit Lions went into Sunday night a favorite in the heavyweight clash against the Houston Texans. MVP Candidate Jared Goff had thrown fewer incomplete passes than the Lions had scored touchdowns in recent weeks leading up to this game. Goff has been one of the most accurate and surgical quarterbacks this season, leading the Lions to first place in the NFC North.
However, all this would come crashing down in front of a national audience of Sunday Night Football. Goff would struggle to get anything going the first half of the game, causing the Lions to go into halftime with their biggest deficit of the season. The Texans would hold a 23-7 lead over the Lions heading into the half.
Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff Picked Off 5 Times
To this point of the season Lions quarterback Jared Goff had been one of the front runners for the MVP. Goff had put together a string of stellar performances, including a perfect game where he completed 100% of his passes. Something very few quarterbacks can say they’ve done on any level of competition.
However, the Texans defense had other plans for the former first overall pick. Goff would be intercepted an astounding five times during Sunday night’s game. Making it increasingly difficult for the Lions to stay in the game. Goff entered this contest with only four interceptions this season, surpassing that mark in a single game isn’t typically a winning formula. This performance was also a career worst for the former first overall pick. Goff had never thrown more than three interceptions in a game with the Lions, and only thrown four in a single game once with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Lions Comeback Victory
The Lions defense would stand tall, and completely shut out the Texans in the second half. Veteran and former Buccaneers corner Carlton Davis would intercept Texans QB CJ Stroud twice in this contest. This was truly a defensive battle filled with turnovers. Between Goff and Stroud there were seven turnovers in this game. The most since Goff’s four interception game with the Rams, at that time he was playing against the Chicago Bears then led by Mitchell Trubisky, who threw three interceptions himself.
The Lions rookie kicker Jake Bates would convert on two 50-yard field goals to put Detroit over the top. First a 58-yarder to tie it up, then a 52-yarder as time expired to win the game. Goff would become the first quarterback to win a game after throwing five interceptions since Matt Ryan in 2012. Quarterbacks that threw five interceptions have a total record of 10-141-2 in the Super Bowl era. The Lions improve to 8-1 on the season, their lone loss coming to the Buccaneers. Another game that Goff had multiple turnovers.
The Lions hold a one game advantage over the surprising Minnesota Vikings for first place in the NFC North. Goff will have to keep the turnovers to a minimum moving forward, if the Lions plan to make the deep playoff run many anticipate they should.
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