Jared Goff has a perfect, historical evening.
If Detroit Lions quarterback Goff could have drawn up a script of how he wanted Monday night’s game to go against a tough, physical Seattle Seahawks team, how it played out in reality was ultimately too good to be true, and the things that dreams are made of.
The 29-year-old former No. 1 overall pick did not throw a single incompletion in the 42-29 win, going 18-for-18 for 292 yards and two scores, including a 70-yard touchdown toss to wide receiver Jameson Williams.
In accomplishing this seemingly impossible feat, Goff became the first quarterback in NFL history to attempt more than 10 passes in a game without throwing an incompletion, according to the NFL.
When questioned about his perfect accuracy on the evening by ESPN’s sideline reporter Lisa Salters, Goff did not even know that he had not missed a pass. And after having a moment to compose himself and some time to think about it, he was nonchalant in his reaction.
“Awesome. Yeah, really cool,” Goff said of making history. “It’s a cool thing to have, I guess, but I’m happy we got the win.”
And if that was not enough, the cherry on top of the sundae occurred for Goff when he caught his first ever touchdown pass on a trick play as Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown tossed him the ball at the midway point of the third quarter.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said he felt “awful” after already giving the game ball to Williams prior to being told of Goff’s historic evening.
“I knew he played a heck of a game. I did not realize he was perfect. I did not know he was literally 18-for-18,” Campbell told reporters. “But I knew he played really well; you could feel it.
Embed from Getty Images“He really found his rhythm early, and I thought he was seeing the field, played with rhythm, he had to move a little bit in the pocket. … Just a number of huge throws. Played with poise.”
The Lions needed contributions and a full team effort to vanquish a previously-unbeaten Seahawks squad that arrived in a hostile environment at Ford Field overflowing with confidence swagger.
Seattle quarterback Geno Smith did everything he could to keep up with the track meet-style pace of the home team, cutting the lead to seven with a touchdown on the first drive of the second half.
But while the teams went back and forth and exchanged scores, Detroit’s early lead and the Seahawks inability to get stops, meant that they held on for the win, improving to 3-1 while Seattle fell to the same record.
Smith completed 38-for-56 passes for 395 yards, one touchdown and an interception, while Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III had three rushing touchdowns.
Aidan Hutchinson continued his superb season on the Detroit defense with a career-high 10 pressures, the most pressures by any player in a game this season, according the NFL.
After the loss, Seattle’s first-year coach Mike Macdonald lamented about his team having plenty of room to grow.
“I wouldn’t say facing Detroit on the road is a litmus test, it just shows us we’re not the team that we need to be at this point,” Macdonald told reporters. “I mean, that’s what it is. Just wasn’t good enough.
“They did what they did to win the game. They did a great job, they had a great plan, and we came up short. So, it’s how do we move forward right now as a football team and take the next step because we’ve got a short week coming up and there’s urgency – I mean, there’s always an urgency, but we’ve got to go to work here over the next few days and make this right.”
The Seahawks go back to the comforts of home to host Daniel Jones and the New York Giants on Sunday night.
The Lions, after a bye week in Week 5, travel to Arlington to take on Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys on October 13.
