Jared Goff stats today: Lions QB sheds cold weather struggles, leads Detroit to 17-point win over Chicago in Week 16

The Lions beat the Bears 34-17 in Week 16, and Detroit improves to 13-2 on the season, retaining the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC playoff picture. The Lions have a 1-game lead over the Eagles who lost to the Commanders this week and have been eliminated from No. 1 seed contention because of tie-breakers.

Quarterback Jared Goff has been an afterthought in the MVP conversation. With dual-threat phenoms Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson racking up passing and rushing stats, it is hard to compete. Then you throw in Eagles running back Saquon Barkley looking like he has a chance to break the single season rushing record, and Goff moves further down the list. 

The fans in Detroit love their quarterback. They respect the work he has put in since being acquired in the trade that sent Matthew Stafford to the Rams. It is common after big plays for Ford Field to erupt in chants of the quarterback’s name as well as MVP. 

While some may discount the Lions’ win over the now 4-11 Bears, Goff lit up the stat sheet in a cold-weather game and added to his impressive MVP resume.

Here is how the Detroit QB played against Chicago in Week 16. 

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Jared Goff stats today

• 32 pass attempts
• 23 completions
• 336 yards
• 3 touchdowns
• 0 interceptions
• 1 sack
• 137.0 passer rating

Throwing for 336 passing yards is impressive. It ranks as Goff’s third-most passing yards in a game this season. It pales in comparison to his insane 494 yard, five touchdown performance from a week ago, but that game resulted in a loss, tarnishing how good the quarterback played against the Bills. Goff’s three touchdown passes were tied for his third-most in a game this season. 

Goff now has 33 touchdowns this season with only 10 interceptions. He has thrown for 4,095 yards, the 12th-most for a Lions quarterback in a single season in team history. Goff threw for a combined 557 yards and five touchdowns against Chicago this season. If the Lions can win out over the last two weeks, they will have the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, which comes with a first round bye and home field advantage in the second round of the playoffs. 

There has been a narrative that Goff can’t win in cold weather. This win over Chicago marks Detroit’s second cold weather win this season. The first came in Week 9 at Lambeau, when the Lions beat the Packers in a very cold early November game. The California-born Goff finished that came with 283 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The Lions have now played 13 games either indoors or at stadiums with a retractable roof. They end the season on the road at San Francisco (outside) and at home against Minnesota (inside).

Jared Goff’s previous struggles in cold weather explained

In his career, Jared Goff has played 12 games in temperatures of 39 degrees or colder, completing 224 of 394 passes for 2,485 yards, 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. His yards per attempt in these cold games is only 6.3, significantly lower than his career average of 7.5 yards per attempt.

When the wind chill drops to freezing at 32 degrees, Goff played 10 games coming into Week 16, completing 188 of 303 passes for 2,203 yards, with six touchdowns and seven interceptions. His record in these conditions is 4-5-1, compared to 6-5-1 when the temperature is 39 degrees or colder.

After going 23-of-32 for 336 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions against the Bears in a Week 16 NFC North clash that saw temperatures around 32 degrees at kickoff, the concerns about whether Goff can deliver in the cold are dwindling at a rapid rate. 

The Lions’ social media team got in on the fun with a reference to Disney’s “Frozen”. 

Jared Goff highlights vs. Bears

It helps when you have one of the fastest players in the league to throw to. Goff bombs one to Jameson Williams who hauls it in and runs for an 82-yard score. 

The Lions’ best player is arguably wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. He can beat teams deep, but also has the ability to weave through defenses. Goff’s second touchdown of the day was a screen to St. Brown, who scored an 8-yard touchdown. 

Goff’s final touchdown has to be the most impressive. The quarterback faked like he fumbled in the backfield, and Jahmyr Gibbs deserves an Oscar for his dive on the ground. After “recovering” the fake fumble, Goff connected with a wide open Sam LaPorta for a 21-yard touchdown.

Lions remaining schedule

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