Lions QB Jared Goff Had Strong Words for ESPN Analyst Ahead of Eagles Game

Goff’s Story and He is Sticking to it

In the interview, Goff downplayed the run-in with Kinlaw. He said Kinlaw jumped offsides, Goff told him he jumped, Kinlaw admitted it, and the rest was just typical in-game chatter. What added friction was the earlier moment in which Daron Payne punched Amon-Ra St. Brown and was ejected. That incident only elevated the temperature on the field, but Goff treated the Kinlaw exchange like a regular bit of back and forth.

The Riddick Comment That Changed The Tone

Then Goff brought up Riddick, saying he could not wait to see how Riddick would “break that one down” on "Turning Point." It was a direct reference to the controversy earlier in the year when the show highlighted Lions safety Brian Branch’s suspension in a way that many Detroit players felt was unfair. Riddick and the NFL Films team later apologized and removed the clip, but clearly, the memory stuck with the Lions locker room.

Goff’s delivery may have been dry, but the message was very sharp. It was his way of reminding people that Detroit is paying attention to how they are being looked at.

Why Goff Spoke Up Now

The Lions are entering a massive stretch of their season. They are tied with Chicago atop the NFC North, they continue to hold national attention, and their quarterback is playing at one of the highest levels of his career. Speaking up now serves a purpose. It shows he is aware of the noise, aware of past criticism and aware of the respect Detroit has been chasing for years.

Detroit faces the Eagles next, followed by home games against the Giants on Nov. 23 and the Packers on Thanksgiving Day.

Goff has made his message clear; now he hopes to do the rest of his talking on the field against the defending Super Bowl Champions.