If the Lions win their first Super Bowl, Sunday’s victory over the Texans will probably go down as the night NFL fans started to realize it might finally be their year.
Detroit won in spite of five interceptions by Jared Goff, shutting out the Texans in the second half and getting the road victory only after two long-range field goals by former UFL standout Jake Bates.
Goff isn’t without flaws, but the odds are he won’t be throwing five, or even three or four, interceptions when it matters most in the playoffs. If the Lions can win with five turnovers, what’s their ceiling when they’re taking care of the ball?
Don’t ask Aaron Rodgers, who seems to think interceptions turn Goff invincible. Here’s the moment Rodgers fell for a fake stat regarding Goff’s interceptions.
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Jared Goff fake interception stat
Rodgers and Pat McAfee fell for a fake Goff stat after the Lions’ “Sunday Night Football” win, and it wasn’t until hours later that McAfee realized his mistake.
“The amazing stat, though — is this a true stat? — That he’s done four or more picks seven times and he’s won every single one of those games? Is that real?” Rodgers asked during his weekly “Pat McAfee Show” appearance.
McAfee nodded his head and said “yes,” while someone else off camera seemingly confirmed the stat by saying, “Yep, 7-0.”
Turnovers plagued Goff during a portion of his time with the Rams, but this is where he would likely stick up for himself and say he absolutely has not thrown four interceptions in seven different games. In fact, he hasn’t even thrown three or more interceptions in seven games.
Goff has only two four-interception games in his NFL career: Sunday’s win over the Texans and a 2018 loss to the Bears, both of which were prime-time matchups. Goff is 2-2 when throwing three or more interceptions in a game and 6-15 when throwing multiple interceptions, so contrary to Rodgers’ suggestion, he’s not better off when he turns the ball over.
The stat circulated from an intentionally misleading tweet by a video game streamer who said he “made this stat up while laying in bed at halftime of the game.”
if you’ve ever wondered how easy it is to spread fake information
i made this stat up while laying in bed at halftime of the game? https://t.co/4m2NnSgyAJ pic.twitter.com/RmQKEqKPtG
— Civ (@MisterCiv) November 12, 2024
When McAfee found out he got it wrong, the ESPN host simply responded, “Oh no.”
That doesn’t mean what Goff and the Lions did on Sunday night wasn’t remarkable. Goff became only the third quarterback in the last 30 years to win a game in which he threw five interceptions, joining Matt Ryan and Tony Romo.
Over the last 30 years, just two QBs have won games where they threw 5+ interceptions:
– Matt Ryan in 2012 (vs. Ryan Lindley/John Skelton, who mustered seven first downs all game)
– Tony Romo in 2007 (Bills intercepted Romo five times, scored three return TDs, and still lost)
— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) November 11, 2024
Dan Campbell is certainly hoping he never finds himself needing to win that type of game again, but the victory was a reminder of how confident the Lions are as they pursue their first Lombardi Trophy.
