'Growing pains': Lions' Jared Goff gets honest about losing Ben Johnson, getting new OC

Back in August, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff insisted that working with new offensive coordinator John Morton throughout the offseason had been a fun experience. 

However, the fact that Detroit's offense looked out of sorts in the Lions' 27-13 Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers predictably left some outsiders wondering if Goff and Co. were missing former OC Ben Johnson. During a Tuesday appearance on Detroit radio station 97.1 The Ticket, Goff suggested that he and his offense would survive Johnson leaving the club to become head coach of the Chicago Bears this past winter. 

Jared Goff shares a reminder about Ben Johnson's Detroit Lions tenure

"I think back to 2022 when Ben was in his first year and we started 1-6," Goff said during the segment. "Not by any means saying that’s where we’re headed, but I think there were growing pains there, too, offensively. And then we got into a good rhythm halfway through the year. Certainly, we want to get into that rhythm this week, though. We don’t want to wait until Week 6 or 7 to find that out. But I think that’s natural when there’s a new coordinator, a new guy calling plays."

Goff enjoyed arguably the best season to date of his career as he became a 2024 MVP finalist in Johnson's final campaign with the Lions. Against the Packers, the 30-year-old signal-caller completed 31-of-39 pass attempts for 225 yards with one touchdown and an interception. According to Pro Football Reference, Goff ended the opening week of the season ranked 20th in the NFL with a 52.8 adjusted QBR and 18th with an 88.6 passer rating. 

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions still getting comfortable with old friend

Before Morton spent the previous two seasons serving as the pass game coordinator for the Denver Broncos, he was a senior offensive assistant with the Lions during the 2022 campaign when Detroit went 8-2 after Halloween. Nevertheless, it seems everybody involved with the Detroit offense understands the situation remains a work in progress in the closing days of summer. 

"He’s getting used to us still, we’re getting used to him still, and some of that progression is still happening," Goff said about Morton. "But it’s all moving in the right direction. It’s all stuff I’m optimistic about, and by no means am I worried about any of it."

The Lions will next host Johnson's Bears this coming Sunday. Chicago suffered a 27-24 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. 

"Got a ton of things to work and improve on," Goff added. "The good news is, we got time to fix it. It’s gotta happen in a hurry. There will be certainly be some urgency from all of us to get those things fixed, and it starts with me."