Within the grand scheme of issues, the 2023 Detroit Lions loved a profitable season regardless of squandering a 24-7 halftime lead en path to shedding the NFC Championship recreation to the San Francisco 49ers.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff nonetheless nonetheless has a bitter style in his mouth as a result of, as he just lately advised Greg Bishop of Sports activities Illustrated, “we didn’t win” the season’s remaining contest.
“Final 12 months, what bothered me, at occasions, was folks had this notion that we had been comfortable to be there, and we definitely weren’t [that],” Goff clarifyed. “And it’s like, ‘No, we’re simply rattling good.'”
The Lions made some historical past final September after they entered a season for the primary time because the betting favorites to assert the NFC North title for the reason that division was fashioned in 2002. Detroit achieved that objective whereas notching a 12-5 report and the Lions then earned their first playoff victory since January 1992.
The Lions rewarded Goff this offseason with a four-year contract extension that included $170M assured and may very well be value as much as $212M. Whereas he has thousands and thousands of causes to be happier immediately than he was 12 months in the past, the previous Cal signal-caller acknowledged it nonetheless stings {that a} squad that “definitely” had the products to win Tremendous Bowl LVIII fell simply wanting enjoying in that recreation.
“I find it irresistible, I completely find it irresistible, and he’s completely proper,” Detroit head coach Dan Campbell mentioned about Goff’s takes relating to final season. “Yeah, there isn’t a second, man. You’re dejected. And also you’re off. And it hurts.”
Campbell revealed earlier in the summertime that he basically started desirous about the duty of returning to the NFC Championship recreation “the minute that clock went to zero in San Francisco” this previous January. He also knows the Lions at the moment are a staff “with the goal on our again” as a result of it is no secret that Detroit is, as Goff put it, “rattling good.”
As of late Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Lions second behind solely the 49ers (+250) among the many betting favorites at +550 odds to characterize the NFC in Tremendous Bowl LIX. Detroit will look to make fairly an announcement when it hosts the Los Angeles Rams — Goff’s former staff and the staff that misplaced to the Lions within the wild-card spherical of the playoffs again in January — for a Week 1 “Sunday Evening Soccer” conflict on Sept. 8.
