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Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Is Jared Goff's growth enough to deliver division crown to Lions?

By Tommy Fradenburg | Last updated 8/3/23

Heading into the third year of the Jared Goff era, the vibes around the Detroit Lions are much different than when he arrived before the 2021 season.

Those Lions had won just 14 games in the three seasons under Matt Patricia (and then interim Darrell Bevell), and decided it was time for a change on the sideline and under center. They sent Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles for Goff and three draft picks and hired Dan Campbell as head coach.

After two full seasons together, Campbell and Goff have apparently turned things around in the Motor City, with CBS Sports.com projecting Detroit to win its first division title since 1993.

As the Lions look to fill the power vacuum in the division created by the departure of Aaron Rodgers, Campbell said the offense's familiarity with second-year offensive coordinator Ben Johnson's system is apparent already.

"We are further along with the details of what we do," Campbell said per Pro Football Talk. "We're in 202 instead of 101. We are so far ahead of where we were (in 2022), and I think that's where Goff has really grown. So that's what excites me."

The improvement began showing in the second half of 2022. Detroit started 1-6 but finished 9-8 behind 4,438 passing yards from Goff and a running back-leading 17 rushing touchdowns from Jamaal Williams.

Jameson Williams with about 5 yards of separation here. Pass from Jared Goff pic.twitter.com/XVBATmJ9I1
— NFL Beat Writers (@32BeatWriters) August 3, 2023

But can they take enough strides in 2023 to capture their first division crown in 30 years?

Williams is gone, as is fellow running back D'Andre Swift, but veteran acquisition David Montgomery and first round draft pick Jahymr Gibbs will attempt to replicate their production. At wide receiver, breakout star Amon-Ra St. Brown is back after posting a career high in both yards and touchdowns.

33-year-old Marvin Jones Jr. also returns for second stint in Detroit following two seasons with Jacksonville, where he had 119 catches and seven scores. Detroit also selected one college football's best receiving tight ends Sam LaPorta from Iowa in the second round of the 2023 draft.

On the defensive side of the ball, Detroit boasts a pass rush headlined by second-year star Aidan Hutchinson.

In his rookie season he recorded 52 tackles, 9.5 sacks and three interceptions. But the unit struggled overall, allowing the most yards and third-most points per contest in 2022. They've added new pieces this offseason, and Campbell said he like what he sees there as well.

"I think we are on the beginning stages of some versatility beginning to show itself," Sports Illustrated reports. "Adding a guy like C.J. Gardner-Johnson has helped."

If Goff and St. Brown's relationship continues to develop and the Lions defense takes a step forward, watch out for the Lions to be true contenders for more than just the NFC North.

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