Revisiting the Lions' Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford trade: How do the QBs compare two years later?

[Jacksnow]

When the Rams sent Jared Goff to the Lions in the 2021 trade that landed them quarterback Matthew Stafford, hardly anyone blinked an eye. In fact, plenty wondered why Detroit would even bother with Goff at all; the Rams were making a clear upgrade, many posited, while the Lions were simply inheriting the necessary evil that was Goff's contract, in order to facilitate the deal.

Two and a half seasons later, Stafford remains with the Rams, and Goff remains with the Lions. But the "winner" of their trade seems less clear. While Stafford's addition instantly elevated Los Angeles' offense in 2021, ultimately helping Sean McVay and Co. hoist the Lombardi Trophy, Goff now has Detroit positioned as one of the powers of the NFC, and his future in Motor City might be even more secure than that of Stafford on the West Coast.

Let's revisit the deal that swapped the QBs, plus how Goff and Stafford have fared in total since landing in their new homes.

After two and a half seasons, this is a fairly close race on the surface. Both QBs have hovered around .500, and both have graded similarly in terms of total production, with Stafford pushing the ball downfield at a better rate and Goff controlling the ball at a better rate. That's indicative of their respective personas, with Stafford often known for his big arm and Goff highlighted for his accuracy. The key omission, of course, is the playoff production; Goff has yet to appear in a postseason contest for the Lions, while Stafford went 4-0 during the Rams' 2021 Super Bowl run, completing 70% of his throws with nine TDs and just three INTs.

That's the first glaring example that, with this entire re-evaluation but Stafford in particular, it all comes back to 2021. We cannot strip Stafford of his numbers that year -- 41 TDs, 17 INTs and a 102.9 QB rating to flirt with MVP consideration. And we certainly cannot strip Stafford of his playoff showcase, which had CBS Sports' own Will Brinson arguing for the longtime Lions QB's Hall of Fame potential. But if we isolate the numbers to just the last two seasons, since the start of 2022, it's a different story.

While Stafford's numbers have fallen all the way back to Earth, just as vital here is the gap in games played. Availability has plagued the Rams' Super Bowl-winning starter since, well, immediately following the Super Bowl victory. Since 2022, Goff has literally played a half-season more than his counterpart, and Stafford is still battling injuries midway through 2023.

Read more: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/revi ... later/amp/

[Guest]

The trade was about who could bring us a Super Bowl win the soonest. Goff just wasn't ready at that time. Stafford gave us the best chance and he did it. That's all that counts. We got a Super Bowl win. Yes, Goff has surpassed Stafford in this point but it wasn't so 2 years ago.

[Ramsfan08ny]

Nothing to compare with this trade. Both teams got exactly what they needed. Rams reaped the riches of it a few years ago, and now the Lions will have a few years of it about as much of a win-win that you could ask for in a trade.

[Guest]

When the Rams sent Jared Goff to the Lions in the 2021 trade that landed them quarterback Matthew Stafford, hardly anyone blinked an eye. In fact, plenty wondered why Detroit would even bother with Goff at all; the Rams were making a clear upgrade, many posited, while the Lions were simply inheriting the necessary evil that was Goff's contract, in order to facilitate the deal.

Two and a half seasons later, Stafford remains with the Rams, and Goff remains with the Lions. But the "winner" of their trade seems less clear. While Stafford's addition instantly elevated Los Angeles' offense in 2021, ultimately helping Sean McVay and Co. hoist the Lombardi Trophy, Goff now has Detroit positioned as one of the powers of the NFC, and his future in Motor City might be even more secure than that of Stafford on the West Coast.

Let's revisit the deal that swapped the QBs, plus how Goff and Stafford have fared in total since landing in their new homes.

After two and a half seasons, this is a fairly close race on the surface. Both QBs have hovered around .500, and both have graded similarly in terms of total production, with Stafford pushing the ball downfield at a better rate and Goff controlling the ball at a better rate. That's indicative of their respective personas, with Stafford often known for his big arm and Goff highlighted for his accuracy. The key omission, of course, is the playoff production; Goff has yet to appear in a postseason contest for the Lions, while Stafford went 4-0 during the Rams' 2021 Super Bowl run, completing 70% of his throws with nine TDs and just three INTs.

That's the first glaring example that, with this entire re-evaluation but Stafford in particular, it all comes back to 2021. We cannot strip Stafford of his numbers that year -- 41 TDs, 17 INTs and a 102.9 QB rating to flirt with MVP consideration. And we certainly cannot strip Stafford of his playoff showcase, which had CBS Sports' own Will Brinson arguing for the longtime Lions QB's Hall of Fame potential. But if we isolate the numbers to just the last two seasons, since the start of 2022, it's a different story.

While Stafford's numbers have fallen all the way back to Earth, just as vital here is the gap in games played. Availability has plagued the Rams' Super Bowl-winning starter since, well, immediately following the Super Bowl victory. Since 2022, Goff has literally played a half-season more than his counterpart, and Stafford is still battling injuries midway through 2023.

Read more: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/revi ... later/amp/

The trade put the Rams over the hump and got them the Super Bowl that they had been striving for since the 2018 loss to the Patriots. McVay basically made his case to Stan that he needed Stafford to get his a championship. Detroit was rebuilding as they continuously had been but this trade brought them two first round draft picks and a QB that had won consistently on the NFL level since 2017. Rams never had a losing season with McVay and Goff. Stafford brought his team a championship and his play in the second half of the Super Bowl showed just how talented he was. Unfortunately the Rams attempt to defend the Super Bowl title were flawed because they were not prepared for the loss of their All Pro LT to retirement and tried to go cheap on the offensive line and almost immediately Stafford’s age, immobility and his injury history doomed the Rams 2022 season. That failure along with the front office handing out new contract extensions to players like Stafford, AD and Kupp all of which were still under contract already thoroughly depleted the Rams cap space to the point that they spent the offseason having a fire sale. The Goff for Stafford trade brought the Rams a Lombardi but it was also the trade that blessed the Rams fans with the likes of Brett Rypien starting a game at QB and Derrion Kendrick starting at QB. Was it worth it ? Hell yes!
Is it painful now? Hell yes!

I hope Goff gets a shot at redemption in the Super Bowl this year.

I hope that the Rams front office and coaches find a way with the draft picks and extra cap room to turn the current dumpster fire into a respectable NFL team in 2024. It’s going to be a heck of a challenge.

[GlendoraRam]

Lions will be the number 1 seed (from NFL.com)
The 8-1 Eagles currently hold the top seed in the NFC, but check out their remaining schedule:
Week 11: at Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
Week 12: vs. Buffalo Bills (5-5)
Week 13: vs. San Francisco 49ers (6-3)
Week 14: at Dallas Cowboys (6-3)
Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
Week 16: vs. New York Giants (2-8)
Week 17: vs. Arizona Cardinals (2-8)
Week 18: at New York Giants (2-8)

Meanwhile, check out what's on tap for the Lions, who currently hold the No. 2 seed and are nipping at the Eagles' heels at 7-2:
Week 11: vs. Chicago Bears (3-7)
Week 12: vs. Green Bay Packers (3-6)
Week 13: at New Orleans Saints (5-5)
Week 14: at Chicago Bears (3-7)
Week 15: vs. Denver Broncos (4-5)
Week 16: at Minnesota Vikings (6-4)
Week 17: at Dallas Cowboys (6-3)
Week 18: vs. Minnesota Vikings (6-4)