LIONS QB JARED GOFF QUOTE SHEET

December 12, 2023

On how they can move past the loss against the Bears and instill confidence into the team in a shorter week: “Yeah, I think it’s really the same every week, and obviously, it stings more coming off a loss and you want to put it behind you quicker, but every week you learn from the good stuff, you learn from the bad stuff and win or lose, you try to take it with you into the next week and this one’s no different. Obviously, didn’t go our way in a variety of ways, but we’ve got to learn from it and move forward and get ready to play a good Broncos team.”

On the positives he noticed after watching the Bears tape and what he saw that they need to improve: “Yeah, the first half execution, aside from a penalty here or there, was really good. Certainly, those last two drives and the way we finished off the first half with the touchdown and kind of ran that clock down to the bottom, I thought that was really well done by us and the coaches of the management of that. And then the second half was just not even close to good enough in execution and I wish there was one thing I could say, ‘If we clean this up, it would be different.’ But it was a million things. It was myself, everyone had a hand in it and has to be a lot better.”

On what happened on the delay of game at the end of the first quarter against the Bears: “Yeah, it’s somewhat subjective. It was very close. And we’ve had a game previously this year where it was, I think, about the same thing. And they gave us the quarter, they didn’t give us the delay of game and I think when they’re within a second of each other is what they try to do and they deemed that one not within a second, so somewhat subjective there, but the call they thought they had to make.”

On the differences he sees between the team before and after the bye and how they can improve going forward: “Yeah, I don’t know what the numbers are. I know we scored 40 against the Chargers and played pretty well against the Saints and then the other three, just didn’t do our thing quite the same way offensively. And yeah, I wish there was one thing you can put your finger on, but there’s not. It’s just plain execution and doing what we’re supposed to do, and it starts with me and leading that charge and getting us back on track.”

On if he can pinpoint why they struggle in the third quarter of games: “No, I wish. Yeah, it’s frustrating as much as it is for everyone else, it’s very frustrating for us. And we’re very aware of it and we know we have to continue to be aware of it and continue to try to find ways to be more productive in the third quarter and that’s everybody and I wish there was one thing that, again, that you could point to as the reason why, or one thing that fixes it, but there isn’t. It’s just plain execution, it’s plain focus, it’s plain doing our jobs a little bit more consistently in that quarter.”

On if the turning point of the game against the Bears was the lost fumble sequence at the end of the third quarter: “Yeah, the snap exchange hurt us in our own territory and then they get the touchdown there to follow that up. And yeah, it’s points off turnovers and something that we preach that we want to do when we force turnovers to score points and typically that helps you win the game, and we were on the wrong side of that.”

On how much he and Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown need to work to get back on the same page after two quiet weeks: “Yeah, you’d love to get him going. I think he’s doing a great job. He’s been very accountable of things that he feels like he can do better and then for me as well, I’m very much just talking to him about ways that I want to try to do better for him and get him the ball in certain ways a little bit better than we have in the last couple weeks. But he’s one of the best guys I’ve ever been around and have no doubts that he's going to be just fine, and we’ll finish this season off pretty well.”

On what defenses are doing to cause Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown to have uncharacteristic games: “Well, the Saints game, they doubled him. They paid a little bit more attention to him in this game. I don’t believe they quite doubled him. But yeah, it’s what good players get. Good players get doubles often and he’s gotten that at times this year and sometimes he’s able to beat the double and it doesn’t really matter, but yeah trying to get him the ball in different ways.”

On when he learned how to not let a loss beat them twice: “Yeah, we’d have no chance if we acted like that. Yeah, I think kind of what I spoke about in the first question is you treat them all the same, the wins and losses. We’ve been fortunate enough to win nine-out-of-13 at this point, so been able to learn from wins a little bit more often than losses, but you treat them the same. You learn from them and you get better and it’s a long season. There’s a 17-game season and each game counts the same and so if you put more weight on one than the other, then you end up beating yourself twice, like you said, at times. So, you treat them all the same, you learn from it, you get better and you improve and at the end of the season, you count them all up and see who continues to go.”

On how he goes about maintaining the team’s confidence through losses as a team captain: “Yeah, you just try to be consistent. Just try to be the same every day, whether it goes your way or it doesn’t the week before. Be the same, be the same guy. Don’t ride the rollercoaster, don’t ride the emotions and know that they can look to me as a guy that’s going to be steady and at the same time, when the urgency needs to be there and the intensity needs to be there, it needs to be there from me and it needs to be there from a lot of guys and I’m aware of that as well.”

On what he has seen from the Broncos’ defense: “Yeah, really good, really good scheme. Obviously, (Broncos CB Pat) Surtain (II)’s a great player, but they’ve got a lot of good players over there. Do some variety of pressures and like you said, try to create turnovers and that’ll be our challenge this week is making sure we’re taking care of the ball and giving us the best chance to win.”

On how valuable it is to have two dynamic and interchangeable running backs in Lions RBs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs: “Yeah, they’re both really good. It’s fun to have them and I think as well as they both run the ball, they both can catch the ball as well out of the backfield and have been a good tandem for us this year and have certainly run the ball well in the last handful of weeks and need to keep getting them the ball.”

On if Broncos S Justin Simmons will be the first player he identifies on pass plays because of his high production of interceptions: “Yeah, he’s got great instincts. I think you always know where those types of guys are. He’s a ballhawk in the backend and does a great job with his eyes, understanding route concepts, understanding what I’m trying to do. And so yeah, there’ll be somewhat of a chess match with him of where he’s going to be and how I want to try to play and make certain plays depending on what he’s doing. So yeah, there will be a little bit of that, but it’s a good defense all around and he is a good part of it.”

On if playing a late-night game this Saturday will feel like he is in the Pac-12 again: “Yeah, ‘Pac-12 After Dark?’ Yeah, no, yeah, it’ll be fun in front of our home fans, I said this earlier on the radio, but getting in front of them, feeling their passion, their energy is going to be so important for us and we’re excited to be there.”