The Detroit Lions are rolling. Sunday’s 37–24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals marked the team’s fourth straight victory, and quarterback Jared Goff says it’s no coincidence. The Lions are winning with balance, chemistry, and a little bit of swagger.
After the game, Goff broke down the importance of playing complementary football, and he wasn’t shy about giving credit where it’s due.
“It feels like the last two weeks they’ve done that for us and given us short fields,” Goff said about the defense. “I think we capitalized on all of them but one tonight. We want to capitalize on all of them, and it’s a big emphasis for us to continue to score off turnovers, especially at the clip our defense is getting them. So yeah, a little area we can be better at, but they’re doing a hell of a job.”
The Lions forced three turnovers against Cincinnati, giving Goff and the offense prime scoring opportunities. It’s something he said has become an expectation, not a surprise.
Complementary Football Defines Detroit’s Identity
If you’ve watched Dan Campbell’s Lions, you know the formula: defense creates chances, offense finishes drives, and special teams flip the field.
Goff emphasized how crucial that balance has been throughout Detroit’s four-game win streak.
“That really is kind of our hallmark these last four wins,” he said. “When we’ve needed on offense, they’ve picked us up on defense. When they’ve needed some help, we’ve picked them up on offense. It hasn’t always been perfect on both sides, but it always seems to be at the right moment one of us is making the play that’s helping out the other.”
And it’s not just the offense and defense carrying the load. Goff made sure to highlight the special teams, too.
“Special teams as well, obviously, with last week with Kalif, and some of the punts Fox had today were just field flippers. It’s huge. So yeah, we pick each other up. Good teams do that, and good teams win a lot of games in a row. That’s four in a row for us, and it feels good.”
Sam LaPorta: The Secret Weapon
Tight end Sam LaPorta has quietly become one of Goff’s favorite weapons. Against Cincinnati, he caught five passes for 92 yards and a touchdown, and Goff was quick to praise the second-year standout.
“It was fun,” Goff said. “I think we got him that one early down the sideline, then he scored later that drive. He’s a big part of our offense, and again, we feel like we say it every week, but the more we get him involved, typically the better things are, and today was one of those days for him.”
Goff smiled as he explained just how reliable LaPorta has become in critical moments, calling him a “matchup nightmare” and one of the most complete young tight ends in football.
Trust in the Trenches
Goff also made sure to shout out Giovanni Manu, who filled in for veteran left tackle Taylor Decker and made his first NFL start. The quarterback said the rookie handled himself like a pro.
“I thought he fought his tail off,” Goff said. “It’s hard, man. It’s his first game, and everybody’s first game—there are going to be mistakes. That’s what I tried to tell him. You’re not going to be perfect. You’re going to make mistakes, it’s okay. As long as the next one is better and you learn. I thought he fought hard.”
Even with a few growing pains, Goff said Manu showed the kind of resilience the Lions expect from everyone who steps on the field.
The Big Picture
Detroit’s offense is humming again, the defense is taking the ball away, and special teams continue to make field position a weapon. That’s the trifecta Goff and Campbell have been preaching since training camp.
Now at 4–1, the Lions are proving that last year’s breakout wasn’t a fluke, it was just the beginning.
“Good teams do that,” Goff repeated. “Good teams win a lot of games in a row.”
Detroit just happens to be one of them.
The Bottom Line
The Lions’ formula isn’t flashy, but it’s brutally effective: create takeaways, capitalize, and complement each other. Jared Goff knows that’s what separates contenders from pretenders, and right now, the Lions are proving they belong in the first category.
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