‘Not to our standard’: Lions QB Jared Goff has lost 6 turnovers in the last 5 days

DETROIT — Jared Goff threw three interceptions over the weekend against Chicago, and while two of those picks came on fluke plays, he admitted he had to do a better job taking care of the football.

Four days later, he didn’t.

Goff coughed up three fumbles in the 29-22 loss on Thanksgiving against the Green Bay Packers, two of which came on consecutive drives in the first quarter, and one was returned for a touchdown by safety Jonathan Owens. Those were huge plays that put the Lions in another big hole, and this time they couldn’t climb out of it.

“The turnovers in the first half have certainly been the problem the last two games that have put us behind,” Goff said. “And subsequently, part of the reason we lost today. And yes, the efficiency and how well we’d like to play on offense can certainly go up and the last two games. It’s not to our standard, absolutely.”

Goff became the most turnover-prone quarterback in the league during his final two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, but has become air-tight during his return to prominence in Detroit. He didn’t throw a pick on his final 324 passes of last season, then opened this season by running that streak to 383 passes, the third-longest streak in NFL history.

He threw five picks in the first nine games of the season overall, and was among the league’s best in turnover-worthy plays according to Pro Football Focus.

The last four days have been another story entirely. Goff opened Sunday’s game by throwing back-to-back picks and later added a third, his first three-pick game since he was still with the Rams in 2019. He wasn’t too discouraged though, correctly noting the first interception was the result of Sam LaPorta getting knocked off his timing route. Goff had already cut the ball loose before processing the collision, and the ball went right to Tyrique Stevenson.

On his third pick, the ball was redirected at the line of scrimmage before caroming into the hands of Tremaine Edmonds.

That’s tough luck. Still, Goff threw two other footballs into the hands of defenders — one of which could have been returned the other way for six points — and ball security became of focal point during the short week before Green Bay arrived in town.

“I’d love to come out this week and play well and get a ‘W’ and be able to put that one behind me,” Goff said on Tuesday.

Instead, he lost three more turnovers.

Goff opened the game by leading a touchdown drive, but was sacked by Rashan Gary just as he was trying to release the football on the following series. He lost control of the ball just before his release, and Owens returned the rock the other way for a score — a huge play that swelled Green Bay’s lead to 20-6.

The ruling on the field stood after a brief review.

“You look at the one where I’m throwing the ball, you know, it’s hard, it’s tough,” Goff said. “You feel like it’s called incomplete sometimes, and then it’s a fumble.”

That one was a tough bang-bang play, but Goff compounded the mistake with another fumble on the following series. Clearly just trying to make something happen in a game that was starting to get out of hand, Goff had the ball poked out as he tried to navigate the open field on third down.

“The one where I’m scrambling, I have to take care of the ball better, no doubt,” Goff said. “Just overall, can always do that better, and yeah, it’s part of my job.”

Goff added another fumble when Detroit was trying to climb back into the game on a fourth-and-7 play early in the fourth quarter. He held onto the ball waiting for something to come open, and Gary got to him for another sack-fumble.

Gary, a former Michigan star, was playing at Ford Field for the first time since tearing his ACL at Ford Field last season. He blamed the artificial turf — which has since been replaced with a more modern artificial surface — for his injury.

In his return to Ford Field, he forced two fumbles, recovered one and sacked Goff three times overall. He was awarded a game ball in Green Bay’s locker room after the game for his efforts back in Southeast Michigan.

“R.G. had a big day,” Packers coach Matt LeFleur said. “That was huge for him to come back to the place where, obviously, last year it was a pretty emotional experience. And then he experienced a different type of emotion today to have three sacks. Just really happy for him and our whole locker room.”