Rich Eisen on Jared Goff’s MVP Candidacy & the Detroit Lions’ Place in the NFC Hierarchy

So, we’re through five weeks. I mentioned how the win by the Patriots last night, knocking the um the Bills out of the ranks of the unbeaten, just like the the Broncos did to the Eagles earlier in the day, made this a wideopen affair in the American Football Conference and a wideopen affair just overall. And um anybody could win it. Truly, anybody can win it. And there’s one team though that I believe through five weeks has played complete football games better than anybody else. And there’s one in the NFC and there’s one in the AFC. And the one in the NFC I will start with here that’s a Detroit Lions after losing to Green Bay. And it’s kind of quaint. It was a month ago we were all wondering if their if their coordinators, Johnny Morton on offense, Kelvin Shepard on defense were going to be their undoing because that’s what happened to the Eagles after they made the Super Bowl and they lost two coordinators and we were all wondering what happened to that team from the year before. And I know the Lions didn’t make the Super Bowl last year and as a matter of fact, they were one and done by a Commanders team that had a huge win in Los Angeles yesterday, which we’ll get to in this hour a little bit more than we already have. And um the Lions, all they did after week one losing to Green Bay is destroy everybody. The only team that came close were the 1.0 Ravens of 2025. The 2.0 is like a shadow of their former selves. Gez. Yeah. But the Lions have scored 161 points over their last four. Um that’s the third most points in any four game span in Detroit history. And if I’m going to talk about Baker Mayfield as an MVP candidate, uh, you’ve got to say the guy right next to him is Jared Goff. Golf. I think Tesla. That’s your first sports center, you know, which is what the Scottish call golf without the golf. Um, seventh career game with a completion percentage of 80% or better and three or more passing touchdowns. That’s tied for fifth all time. Uh the only ones uh who have a better such mark are named Rogers, Brady, Breeze, and Manning. Pton Manning or Debbing Manning depending on when you see him on your screen right now. Uh motivating Manning. Motivating Manning. Payton Manning, right? All that stuff. Um although I I’ll be I’ll be straight up with you. Um if I I’ I’ve already seen Eli and Danny Devidu quite enough. fifth game with a passer rating of 150 or better since 2024. That’s two more than any other quarterback. Jared Goff and uh Gibs and Montgomery. Sonic and Knuckles did it again. A touchdown in the same game for the 14th time at Ties Emmett and Daryl Johnson. Moose was on the call actually when when he watched that happen. Oh, and uh and um Montgomery threw for a touchdown yesterday as well. I’m on Ross St. Brown 100 receiving yards again. 25th career game with eight or more receptions. Uh, only Michael Thomas, can’t guard Mike, had more such receptions in his first five seasons. Also, Rich, really cool about Montgomery, his older sister had been paralyzed in the car accident, and that was the first time she’s watched him play in person since Wow, that’s awesome. Her accident. Yeah, they kept cutting away to her in the game. Uh, Kirby Joseph with an interception. He now has 20 in his first four seasons. He became the sixth player this decade to do that. Destroyed him. And once again, what they do is they leave you wondering if you can play football anymore. That’s that’s how they’re beating you again. Um Chicago felt that way after they took care of Chicago in week two. Uh Baltimore um after that game definitely when Baltimore uh the next week went to Kansas City, that’s where it all began to go downhill, right? some of the injuries that Baltimore began to suffer on that short week after the Monday night loss uh at home to Detroit. Uh Cleveland changed their quarterbacks. Now Cincinnati is everyone’s wondering what’s up there. Detroit is destroying everybody right now and the next game is a Sunday nighter at Kansas City. Here we go before a Monday nighter against Tampa. Rubbers meet road about what I’m saying. The Lions are the best team in the NFL right now. And I’ll tell you what, my power rankings lost one versus two, you know, one and two. Sort of like the top 25 preseason in college football. Texas and Penn State out. Uh Philly and and Buffalo lost. The Lions were three. Tune in to my power rankings on Wednesday. I’m now I’m now teasing a segment that you guys forced me to do years ago that I’m kind of into now. That you really grown up. And then now they then they have a buy. That’s how the Lions are playing right now. Hey, you made it all the way to the end. Thanks for that. Check us out every single day streaming live on Disney Plus and the ESPN app 12 to 3 Eastern.

Rich Eisen makes the case for the Detroit Lions as the best team in the NFC.

Tune in to the Emmy-nominated Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from Noon to 3PM ET on Disney+, ESPN+, ESPN Radio, and streaming on SiriusXM channel 80.

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39 comments

  2. Appreciate the warm offerings about the Lions elevation in your ranking, but injuries are starting to cloud up over the Lions SB horizon. If they can get thru KC and TB in the next 2 games and go into the bye at 6-1, then I am with you. By the time the Lions come out of the bye week, they should have Reed ack, who is much more valuable than Arnold right now, and they should have Decker back. Barring any other significant injuries to key players, the Lions should be at almost full force and be a favorite to go all the way…

  4. Lions fan here, born and raised in 313. Goff is a decent QB surrounded by an amazing team. Mid QB at best. Watch the games and count how many times he throws the ball more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. He tosses 1-2 yards, or hands it off. That's not a great QB.
    The Bangals ate his lunch this week.

  7. I'm worried about the injuries in the secondary. Four of the top 6 they started the season with are injured, with DJ Reed, Khalil Dorsey and Terrion Arnold being out "for a while" per Dan Campbell yesterday. You can't bring guys in off the street and start them, like they did against Cincinnati, and hold up against good teams with good quarterbacks. Here's hoping they get these guys back sooner rather than later.

  12. The only issue is the Lions have zero corners who aren’t mid to below mid left on the rosters. Losing both starters and their 2 rd corner for a second straight season AND even the backup backups are playing hurt. May be a big problem for them the next two games.

  14. The Lions are making a lot of errors and still winning. If they can clean it up a little they have the personnel to become one of the great teams in NFL history.

  21. I always thought the mcvay "saving" Goff's career was overstated and just hate.

    He only played 7 games with Jeff Fisher and if you watched the games, he had very clear flashes.. he went toe to toe with drew brees his rookie year.

    Then mcvay gets the 1st overall pick and everyone thinks he's a savior.. then Goff gets scapegoated, he leaves, revitalizes another organization and then it's Ben Johnson, not goff.

    Honestly, Goff has always been very good, but now he's great and it's time to put respect on his name.

  22. Why is everyone still stuck on week 1 for Lions? It was the first game all the starters and coaches were in a game together. It was essentially a learning curve for everyone. You could almost call it an extra preseason game. Move on already smh

  24. A lot of Detroiters are calling it “The Lion’s Hangover”.
    Many teams do well the week after facing the Lions. Check out some stats for us!!

  26. Lions fan here We the Best Team In The NFL and it’s not close we winning the Super Bowl this year anyone with decent football knowledge knows that🥶😤🦁💙🖤🩶

  30. Goff is the most disrespected QB in NFL history. So man casuals who don’t know ball STILL constantly repeat the media narratives from 6 years ago when Goff was a Ram.

  34. Maybe if the lions didnt just lose Terrion Arnold and DJ Reed and i think they have McNeil coming back and Rodrigo, Davenport,Dorsey,Levi is done for the year, but you get them guys back and I can see them beating the Chiefs but not with that secondary as is

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