Jared Goff

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who missed last Sunday's 13-10 road loss to the Cleveland Browns with an oblique injury, is set to return Thursday at home against the Chicago Bears barring any overnight setbacks.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the news, which aligns with Lions head coach Dan Campbell telling reporters (h/t Benjamin Raven of mlive.com) this week that the team was leaning toward starting Goff after a one-game absence.

Goff has completed 66.1 percent of his passes for eight touchdowns (six interceptions) and 6.3 yards per attempt in nine games this year.

The Lions started Tim Boyle at quarterback in Goff's absence last Sunday. The ex-Green Bay Packers backup completed 15-of-23 passes for 77 yards and two interceptions.

Now Goff returns to the mix in hopes of leading the Lions to their first win this season. Goff's last time out resulted in the 2021 team's first non-defeat as the Lions tied the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-all.

Detroit has struggled on both sides of the ball and enters this week ranked third-last in both points per game and points allowed per game.

However, a home matchup against a 3-7 Bears team is a winnable game. Goff hasn't performed particularly well, but he's the best option on the roster and could be the difference here, especially against a Chicago team missing superstar edge-rusher Khalil Mack (season-ending foot surgery). 

Game time is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET from Detroit's Ford Field.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Tim Boyle will make his first NFL start if Jared Goff misses Sunday's road game against the Cleveland Browns with an oblique injury.

Campbell told reporters Goff, who's feeling better and hasn't been ruled out, is going to throw Friday before a decision about the team's Week 11 starting quarterback is finalized.

Goff was officially listed as doubtful for the matchup.

Goff suffered the injury in the first quarter of the Lions' 16-16 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, but he finished the game. He missed the first two practice sessions this week.

"I don't want to sit up here and say I was hurt and whatever and make excuses," Goff said after the game. "It was bothering me, but I felt like I could compete and throw fine, and I felt like I did. I don't feel like it was a hindrance at any point."

The two-time Pro Bowl selection has struggled in his first year with Detroit after being acquired in a blockbuster offseason trade that sent fellow quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams.

Goff has completed 66.1 percent of his throws for 2,109 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions through nine games. He ranks last among the 33 qualified signal-callers in ESPN's Total QBR (27.2) and owns a poor 59.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Boyle went undrafted out of Eastern Kentucky in 2018. After three years with the Green Bay Packers, he signed with the Lions in March.

The 27-year-old Connecticut native received extremely limited playing time behind Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, completing three of his four career pass attempts, all of which came in a November 2019 game against the San Francisco 49ers.

More recently, Boyle has been on injured reserve since September because of a thumb injury, but the Lions designated him to return this week, giving them a 21-day window to put him back on the active roster.

Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn said they wouldn't change their approach if Boyle was thrust into the starting role, per Chris Burke of The Athletic.

"It definitely doesn't close any of the playbook," Lynn said. "He can handle it all. He's just been out for a while."

Whether it's Goff or Boyle, the Lions' passing attack will need to take advantage of a Browns defense that has allowed the third-most passing touchdowns (21) and the eighth-highest opponent passer rating (101.6) if Detroit is going to pick up its first win of the campaign.

Detroit Lions starting quarterback Jared Goff suffered an oblique injury in Sunday's 16-16 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Pelissero reported the Lions coaches want to see how Goff performs at practice before making a decision about whether he'll start in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns.

The 27-year-old was traded to Detroit alongside a 2021 third-round pick and first-rounders in 2022 and 2023 for Matt Stafford. 

During his five seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, Goff was a two-time Pro Bowler, led the team to three playoff berths and had a Super Bowl appearance. He threw for 3,952 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season, completing 67 percent of his passes. 

Those numbers weren't great—Goff didn't light it up in 2019, either, and never quite looked like the same player after Todd Gurley saw his production slip in 2019 before he was cut ahead of the 2020 season—but they were hardly terrible. 

"The situation around him affected his game. If the O-line wasn't always firing or if he was missing a wide receiver, things didn't go well," a team source told ESPN's Lindsey Thiry about Goff's declining play. "If he had a clean pocket and everything was going perfect, he's a top-five quarterback."

But things rarely go perfectly. And Goff's dip in production, combined with a souring relationship with head coach Sean McVay, ushered in the end of Goff's time with the Rams. 

A new team and a significantly less talented roster hasn't worked out well for the 2016 No. 1 overall pick. He has thrown for 2,107 yards and eight scores against six interceptions amid Detroit's 0-8-1 start. 

While he's out, David Blough will step into the starting role.

Following Sunday's 16-16 tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell isn't looking to make a change at quarterback right now. 

Speaking to reporters, Campbell said Jared Goff is "the guy that gives us the best chance" to win games. 

Campbell added that he didn't give any serious consideration to benching Goff amid his struggles against the Steelers. 

"If I felt like there was no way that he could function, then I would (have taken him out)," he said. "But I didn’t feel that way yesterday."

Campbell could have justified replacing Goff in the game because of injury. The two-time Pro Bowler told reporters Sunday he was dealing with "probably a strained oblique."

"Just kind of nagged me a little bit throughout the game," said Goff. "I thought I was fine to stay in there. I felt like it didn't affect me through the game. It'll be a little sore tomorrow, but I'll be fine.

The Lions acquired Goff in March as part of the Matthew Stafford trade with the Los Angeles Rams. His transition has been anything but smooth to this point. The 27-year-old is completing 66.1 percent of his attempts, but his yards per game (234.1) is on pace to be the fewest since his rookie season. 

Goff's 2.4 touchdown percentage is tied with Trevor Lawrence for the second-worst in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 300 attempts. He only threw for 112 passing yards (11 in the first half) on 25 attempts against the Steelers. 

Detroit (0-8-1) is the only team in the NFL without a win. The team is winless in its last 13 games dating back to Week 14 of last season. 

David Blough is the only other quarterback on the Lions' active roster. The Purdue alum started five games during the 2019 season when Stafford was out with spinal fractures. He did play four snaps in the 44-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8. 

The Lions will take on the Cleveland Browns (5-5) at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday.    

Former NFL receiver Terrelle Pryor is not a fan of Jared Goff. 

Pryor took to social media and ripped the Detroit Lions quarterback, writing on his Instagram stories: "Jared Goff is terrible (Charles Barkley voice). Myself and [Colin] Kaepernick can go on field this second and do better."

He might be right about Kaepernick. Goff is now 0-15-1 in his NFL career in games without his former Los Angeles Rams head coach, Sean McVay. 

It's pretty arguable that Pryor could do better, however, given he was a quarterback in college but eventually transitioned to quarterback in the NFL. Pryor was 3-7 in his career as a starting quarterback, throwing for 1,994 yards, nine touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He completed just 56.3 percent of his passes. 

Suffice to say, his transition to wide receiver was the correct call. Goff may be struggling on the lowly Lions, but he's still a two-time Pro Bowler and a player who reached the Super Bowl with the Rams. 

The grass is looking a lot greener for Matthew Stafford.

The Los Angeles Rams improved to 6-1 with a 28-19 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

This was Stafford's first game against his old team, which continues to be the lone winless team (0-7) in the NFL.

Stafford put Los Angeles ahead 25-19 with 13:59 left in the game after finding Cooper Kupp for a five-yard touchdown. Detroit was poised to respond after getting a 1st-and-10 at Los Angeles' 12-yard line, but Jared Goff threw an interception on second down.

A 47-yard field goal by Matt Gay with 1:03 left put the finishing touches on the result.

Notable Performers

Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams: 28-of-41, 334 yards, three touchdowns

Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams: 10 receptions, 156 yards, two touchdowns 

Robert Woods, WR, Rams: six receptions, 70 yards

Jared Goff, QB, Lions: 22-of-36, 268 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions

D'Andre Swift, RB, Lions: 13 carries, 48 yards; eight receptions, 96 yards, one touchdown

Stafford Provides Familiar Sight to Old Team

In 12 years with the Lions, Stafford helped engineer 31 fourth-quarter comebacks, leading the league in that category in 2014 and 2016. It was only fitting the 33-year-old had to guide the Rams to victory after they trailed in the final frame.

Cooper Kupp, meanwhile, remains on pace to have the biggest season of his NFL career. He and Stafford wasted little time before forming a potent duo through the air.

Los Angeles' first two drives of the second half ended in a punt and a turnover on downs. After the Lions retook the lead, the Rams needed a big play to energize the home crowd, and Kupp delivered with a 59-yard reception to end the third quarter.

Although Goff didn't perform that badly against his old team, his costly turnover was a reminder of why the Rams ate a lot of money in order to move him elsewhere.

Even though Stafford has yet to win a playoff game, you'd trust him more than Goff to come through in crucial situations.

Campbell Goes for Broke

When your team dropped its first six games, a head coach sometimes has to resort to desperate measures. That's what Dan Campbell did immediately after D'Andre Swift's 63-yard touchdown reception on the game's opening drive.

The Lions went for and recovered an onside kick, which set up a 37-yard field goal by Austin Seibert to give Detroit an early 10-0 lead. The possession included a successful fake punt as well.

Everybody had fun with Campbell's introductory press conference, but the 45-year-old is a man of his word in terms of making life difficult for his opponents. And the kind of gambles he took Sunday are what can help win over a locker room.

The harsh reality is that the Lions probably aren't going anywhere with Goff as their starting quarterback, though. There are only so many trick plays to compensate for a quarterback who's arguably middling at best.

What's Next?

The Lions head home to host the Philadelphia Eagles on Halloween at 1 p.m. ET, and the Rams will kick things off in the same time slot against the Houston Texans on the road.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is reportedly in "no immediate danger" of being benched despite coach Dan Campbell's critical public comments.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported no conversations have taken place among Lions coaches about benching Goff in favor of David Blough. Campbell called out his quarterback after last Sunday's 34-11 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

“I feel like [Goff] needs to step up more than he has,” Campbell said. “And I think he needs to help us just like everybody else. I think he’s going to need to put a little bit of weight on his shoulders here and it’s time to step up, make some throws, and do some things.”

Goff has thrown for 1,505 yards and seven touchdowns against four interceptions through the first six weeks. He's been held without a score in each of the Lions' past two games and hasn't topped the 300-yard passing mark since Week 1.

Blough has been with the Lions since 2019 after arriving via trade from the Cleveland Browns. He started five games as a rookie but looked in over his head, throwing for 984 yards and four touchdowns against six interceptions. The Purdue product isn't the type of talent who can truly push Goff, even if the veteran is struggling. 

Detroit enters the weekend as the NFL's lone remaining winless team. Goff will return to Los Angeles on Sunday to face the Rams, a place where he spent his first five NFL seasons before being traded to Detroit this offseason.

The two-time Pro Bowler said there was "some sourness" toward the end of his tenure and admitted to having a chip on his shoulder coming into the game. The Rams have gotten off to a 5-1 start with former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford at the helm, with Stafford playing at an MVP-caliber level. 

All hail King Henry.

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry was almost the latest to become a member of the 99 Club for Madden 22 after putting on a show while leading his team to a 34-31 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 6.

That was the headline when Madden announced its latest ratings updates Thursday. Henry improved by one point from 97 to 98 overall after running for 143 yards and three touchdowns in the upset win over Buffalo.

Nobody in the league has more rushing yards (783) or rushing touchdowns (10) than Henry, who is off to a dominant start and in the middle of the early MVP discussion.

He wasn't the only one who received a ratings boost, as Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones went from 71 to 72 overall and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette jumped from 80 to 81 overall.

The Browns will be without Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt for Thursday's game against the Denver Broncos and could use Peoples-Jones' emergence as a weapon in the offense. He impressed as a bright spot in the team's Week 6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals with four catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

As for Fournette, he began the season splitting carries with Ronald Jones II in Tampa Bay's backfield. However, he is now clearly the top option and scored two touchdowns while tallying 127 total yards in the Bucs' win over the Philadelphia Eagles last Thursday.

Thursday's ratings update wasn't good news for everyone. Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff dropped a point from 76 to 75 overall, while New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones did the same from 72 to 71 overall.

Goff's Lions are 0-6, and he has struggled with zero touchdown passes and two interceptions in his past two games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Minnesota Vikings. He will be firmly under the spotlight for Week 7's showdown with his former team, the Los Angeles Rams.               

After being traded from the Los Angeles Rams this offseason, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff will face his former team for the first time on Sunday.

During his press conference on Wednesday, Goff admitted that he'll have some extra motivation for the game because he wasn't happy with how his trade was handled.

"Of course you have the chip on your shoulder—I've spoken about that. There was some disrespect felt toward the end," Goff told reporters. "There was some sourness toward the end. And you still feel that, you still have that chip on your shoulder."

Goff was sent to Detroit along with two first-round draft picks and a third-round pick in exchange for quarterback Matthew Stafford. While Sunday's game has a little extra meaning for him, Goff said he doesn't want to let his emotions affect his play.

"But at the same time, when the game starts, if I let any of that come into how I’m going to play the game, it would be selfish," Goff said. "And I’m going to play the game just how I would any other game. And to be honest, I’m not worried about feeling some type of way once the game starts. I really don’t."

Goff spent the first five seasons of his career with the Rams after they traded up from the No. 15 spot to draft him first overall in 2016. After the trade was completed, Goff later told reporters that he was blindsided with the news as he had no contact from the Rams organization from the time the season ended to when he was traded.

Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters on Monday that he wished he wished he communicated better with Goff prior to the trade.

"To say that it was perfectly handled on my end, I wouldn't be totally accurate in that," McVay said.

The Lions are currently the last remaining winless team in the NFL at 0-6 while the Rams are 5-1. Goff knows how important it is to get a win, so he knows he will have to remain level-headed and not let his history with Los Angeles affect how he plays.

"The reality is that we need a win, regardless of who we’re playing this week, regardless of my history or [Michael Brockers’] history or that anyone had with this team and with the Rams," Goff said. "It’s more of the reality is that we need to win and we can’t focus on that, really."