Halftime analysis: Would the real Jared Goff please stand up?

DETROIT — Would the real Jared Goff please stand up?

The quarterback’s return to prominence has helped bring the Detroit Lions back from the dead. They own the second-best record in the NFL, a 2.5-game lead in the division and have gone 16-4 in their last 20 games overall. They’re one of the hottest teams in the league, and a near-lock to break their six-year playoff drought.

But with an opportunity to pad their perch heading into December, Goff has continued his midseason regression, including losing two more turnovers while falling behind 23-6 at halftime on Thanksgiving against Green Bay, their second-largest deficit of the season.

Just four days ago, Goff threw two picks to open a game against Chicago at Ford Field. He was able to lead the Lions back for a stunning win, which, hey, great stuff. But he spoke after that game about the importance of protecting the football better — then opened Thanksgiving by coughing up two fumbles in the first quarter, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Goff also missed a wide-open Sam LaPorta on a third-down pass, killing yet another drive, and then was flagged for grounding while trying to draw Green Bay offside right before the half. That put the Lions’ promising drive behind the sticks in Green Bay territory, and Goff wound up killing that drive too by having a fourth-down pass batted at the line of scrimmage.

Not good enough on most days.

Saddled with one of the worst defenses in the league over the last month, especially so.

The Lions have allowed 38 points in two of their last four games, and had a difficult time slowing the Chicago Bears last week too. Then the Packers opened this one by driving 75 yards for touchdowns on back-to-back drives. Christian Watson already had a season-high catches by then (four), while quarterback Jordan Love completed 12 of his first 13 passes for 175 yards and two TDs.

If you saw Detroit trying to play defense, you’d understand why the first-year starter is having his way at Ford Field. There is an obvious disconnect between the pressure and coverage right now. Love has been hit once by a front-line player in the first half, just three times overall and has yet to be sacked. Meanwhile, there is a ton of space for his wideouts to do whatever they want.

Put it all together, and the Lions barely resemble the team that took the league by storm to open the season. They’ve been booed four times by their home crowd, despite enjoying their best start to a season since 1962, and have returned to the locker room searching for answers on defense, and at quarterback too.