Detroit, MI
Jared Goff gets major respect, cracks NFL’s top-10 QBs of 2024
ESPN is continuing their lists of the top-10 players at each position, as voted on by NFL executives coaches, and scouts. On Monday, they dropped the quarterback list, and it features Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff cracking the top-10 list for the first time since its inception in 2020. He placed ninth on the list this year, ahead of some notable quarterbacks like Dak Prescott (10th), Brock Purdy (not ranked), Jordan Love (NR), Jalen Hurts (NR), Trevor Lawrence (NR), and Kirk Cousins (NR).
Not only had Goff never made the list before, but he was only an honorable mention a single time in the previous four years—last year. Here’s what ESPN author Jeremy Fowler wrote in 2023:
“Goff rarely got a single vote over the past three seasons, but this year he appeared on nearly 25% of the ballots after leading Detroit to nine wins, thanks in part to a 29-7 touchdown-interception ratio.”
After helping the Lions to get to the NFC Championship last year, the narrative on Goff has completely shifted. But even more telling than Goff’s ninth overall ranking is the specific praise he got from NFL insiders. This isn’t just about him now being “a winner,” or game-managing an offense led by coordinator Ben Johnson. Goff is getting real, tangible praise for specific traits that often go underappreciated.
“He’s the best in the NFL at throwing into zone coverage windows,” an anonymous NFL coordinator told ESPN. “I’ve shown young quarterbacks tape of him and how he throws with anticipation.”
“He used to seem nervous in the pocket, but now he’s cool in there,” an NFC executive said. “I don’t think he has that pressure on him like he did in L.A. Detroit has embraced him and he’s responded.”
Last year, Goff finished second in passing yards (4,575), fourth in passing touchdowns (30), ninth in passer rating (97.9), and 11th in QBR. If you back up the stats to when Detroit started to turn things around—circa Thanksgiving in 2021—Goff’s statistical output has been as good as anybody’s.
Apropos of nothing in particular:
Jared Goff’s stats and rankings since Week 9 of 2022 (Lions’ 20-7 regular season run):
(min 500 attempts)
Comp %: 66.8 (8th)
Yards: 7,109 (2nd)
Y/A: 7.5 (5th)
TDs: 47 (3rd)
INTs: 13 (t-9th)
Passer rating: 100.0 (4th)— Jeremy Reisman (@DetroitOnLion) April 30, 2024
And almost identical since Thanksgiving 2021:
(min. 800 attempts)
Comp %: 66.6 (8th)
Yards: 10,149 (3rd)
Y/A: 7.5 (4th)
TDs: 70 (4th)
INTs: 21 (T-6th fewest)
Rating: 99.6 (5th)— Will Burchfield (@burchie_kid) April 30, 2024
It’s good to see that public perception is finally catching up with reality, and people who know ball see both how good Goff is and how much he has improved since landing with the Lions in 2021.
The Detroit Tigers are coming off of an 11-game homestand and are in the middle of a four-game win streak, and they will hope for that to continue as they prepare to face a struggling Houston Astros offense.
In their last five games, the Tigers’ pitching staff has surrendered just seven runs. That has come against two top-15 offenses in the San Diego Padres and the Baltimore Orioles.
The Astros’ offense they are set to take on currently ranks tied for No. 24 in MLB with a team wRC+ of just 87.
Houston does also have one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball, but Detroit’s offense will be lucking out since they are missing the two best starting pitchers the Astros have to offer now that the probables for the series are set.
Monday night will be the start of the series in Houston at 8:10 p.m. ET.
The Tigers will be throwing Jack Flaherty with the Astros going with Ronel Blanco.
Flaherty just plays better while with Detroit, and he looks back to the form that he started last year with. He has a 2.63 ERA over five starts with a 1.024 WHIP and 11.2 K/9.
Blanco is known for throwing a no-hitter last season in his first game of the year, but he has been off to a much quieter start during this campaign.
The second game of the series, Tuesday at 8:10 p.m. ET, will see Reese Olson on the mound for Detroit with Ryan Gusto taking the ball for Houston.
Olson is on a red-hot pitching streak with 12.1 scoreless innings over his last two starts. His ERA is down to 3.29 and he is looking as good as he has in his young career.
Gusto is a rookie who is starting out of necessity for the Astros, but he has been very solid with a 3.68 ERA over his three career starts.
The final game of the series will take place on Wednesday at 2:10 p.m. ET.
It will be the rookie sensation Jackson Jobe pitching for the Tigers and most likely Hayden Wesneski doing so for Houston.
Jobe has been solid in his full rookie campaign with a 2.70 ERA, but he will look to hone in his control and start generating some more strikeouts.
Wesneski is in line for the start, but he did have some velocity issues in his last outing that could cause the Astros to rest him.
NEWS
A DDOT bus crash occurred on Detroit’s west side when a maintenance employee, reportedly experiencing a medical emergency, lost control and crashed into an empty apartment building. The incident, which happened near Greenfield and McNichols, involved no passengers and resulted in no injuries to pedestrians. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with debris flying, but noted relief that an area usually populated by people was empty at the time.
DETROIT (FOX 2) – A Detroit Department of Transportation bus crashed into an empty apartment building on Saturday evening after the driver had a medical emergency.
The bus was unoccupied other than the driver, a maintenance employee, and the building, which was under renovation, was also unoccupied, according to city officials.
Other than the driver, no one was hurt.
The crash happened on Greenfield near McNicholls.
A Detroit Department of Transportation bus crashed into an empty apartment building on Saturday evening.
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