One Jared Goff Stat Proved Just How Bad Lions' Offense Was in Week 1

The Lions struggled mightily on offense in Week 1 against the Packers, but one stat has emerged that shows just how bad things were.

Jared Goff finished Detroit's 27–13 loss completing 31-of-39 passes for 225 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. While those numbers don't look awful on the surface, a deeper look shows some troubling signs.

Henry McKenna of Fox Sports pointed out that 26 of Goff's 31 completions had a depth of six yards or fewer. That means the offense wasn't pushing the ball down the field against Green Bay. The 30-year-old quarterback finished the game with an average depth of target of 4.2 yards.

While those numbers are bad, they look even worse compared to last season, when the Lions had one of the NFL's best offenses. Goff's average depth of target in 2024 was 7.2 yards, a full three yards more than it was on Sunday.

Given those numbers, it's no wonder Goff averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt in Week 1, compared to 8.6 during the 2024 season. It's no wonder the Lions only put up 246 yards of total offense and averaged 3.8 yards per play.

The Lions lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson this offseason when the Bears hired him as their head coach. There will be an adjustment period under new OC John Morton. But given the talent Detroit has on offense, it shouldn't take long to get things fixed.

Goff and the offense have to be better moving forward or the Lions will take a massive step back in 2025.