Jared Goff has not thrown an interception in 191 pass attempts this season, making him the league’s most secure quarterback with zero picks through five games. That unbelievable streak is about to run straight into a Green Bay Packers defense that leads the entire NFL with nine interceptions, seven of which have come during their current three-game winning streak. Something’s gotta give, right?
Goff’s Unstoppable Efficiency
The Detroit Lions are sitting at 3-2, largely fueled by Goff’s incredibly efficient play. His numbers are off the charts: he ranks second in passer rating, third in passing yards per game, and is tied for fourth in passing touchdowns. He is also seventh in completion percentage and tied for 11th in average depth of target. That’s a quarterback who knows how to operate. Packers coach Matt LaFleur straight up said, “He’s done an unbelievable job. To not throw an interception all season long, five games in for them, is pretty impressive. He does a great job in terms of if you just give him a sliver of light, he’s going to thread the needle.” This Lions offense is fourth-best in yards per game, and Goff is the engine making it all hum without any mistakes.
The Packers’ Ball-Hawking Turnaround
This Green Bay defense is a completely different animal from last season, when they managed just seven picks *all year*. Now, with first-year defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon calling the shots, they are putting players in position to make game-changing plays. Safety Evan Williams, for example, is playing on another level. Just last week, he picked off Dak Prescott, another typically careful quarterback, in a huge moment against the Cowboys. Gannon schemed up a disguised coverage, showing Williams was coming on a blitz, then dropping him back into the middle of the field to read Prescott’s eyes. Gannon praised Williams, saying, “First thing as a safety, be reliable. He’s reliable. His skill set allows him to make a lot of different plays and a lot of different calls. He’s physical, he’s extremely intelligent, and he puts time on task.” Williams has two interceptions in six games, good for second on the team behind Xavier McKinney. And McKinney? He is tied for the league lead with three picks, showing a serious resurgence after only two picks last season following an eight-interception campaign in 2024. McKinney summed up their philosophy after the Cowboys game, “The ball is what gets us paid, man. At the end of the day, we’re trying to go out there and get our hands on the ball, however that may look, whether it’s a punch out, whether that’s getting the ball out of the air, whatever it is, but we just stay consistent with our process.”
What Sunday Means
Takeaways often swing games, making the difference between wins and losses. The Packers have been consistently getting those takeaways during their win streak. But against Goff and the Lions this Sunday, forcing him to put the ball in harm’s way is going to be the biggest challenge for Gannon and his playmaking safeties. You can bet everyone will be watching to see if Goff can keep his pick-free streak alive or if Green Bay’s defense will finally break through.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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