Now in his fifth season with the Detroit Lions, Jared Goff has proven that he’s not a system quarterback.
With offensive innovator Ben Johnson leaving to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears during the offseason, NFL observers expected a dip in production from the Cal product. Instead, Goff remains one of the elite players at the position midway through the year and is an MVP candidate.
Goff leads the league in passer rating (117.7), is second in passing touchdowns (20) and is fourth in average yards per perception (8.2). The Lions have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, averaging 31.4 points per game, good enough for second in the NFL.
In a runaway 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Goff completed 25 of 33 passes for 320 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 135.9 passer rating. Goff is the third player in NFL history with at least 45 games with a 300-plus-yard passing performance in his first 10 NFL seasons, joining Patrick Mahomes (49 in his first nine seasons) and Matt Ryan (45).
Goff has his weaknesses. He’s not a player who will make plays with his legs outside the pocket, with only 23 rushing yards this season. And his 83 interceptions since the start of the 2018 season are third in the NFL to Josh Allen (89) and Baker Mayfield (92).
Still, Goff is an elite executor of Detroit’s offense. Surrounded by a handful of premium playmakers like running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta, Goff gives the Lions a chance to outscore opponents each week, putting him in the MVP hunt.
Goff’s MVP odds check in at +2800 this week, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. And there’s a new leader this week, with Drake Maye (+275) taking the top spot, followed by Matthew Stafford (+300), Patrick Mahomes (+600), Jonathan Taylor (+600), Josh Allen (+700) and Sam Darnold (+1000).
Here are my top five MVP candidates heading into Week 11.
Drake Maye threw for 270 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in the Patriots’ win over the Buccaneers. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Maye led the streaking Patriots to their league-high seventh straight win in a battle between fellow MVP candidate Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Maye didn’t have to do as much offensively, with rookie TreVeyon Henderson totaling 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
In his second season, Maye is the frontrunner for the MVP award right now, with New England ahead of schedule under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel and leading the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East. The Patriots have one of the easiest schedules in the league to finish the year, playing just one team with a winning record in their final seven games of the season. That bodes well for Maye’s MVP candidacy.
Odds to win MVP: +275
Tom Brady’s LFG Player of the Game: Rams QB Matthew Stafford 🏆
If Maye is the frontrunner, Stafford is nipping at his heels. The 37-year-old gunslinger is having one of the best seasons in his NFL career. He’s thrown 20 touchdowns and no interceptions over the last six games. Stafford completed 24 of 36 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns in a road win over the San Francisco 49ers. He threw his 400th career touchdown in that game, becoming one of nine quarterbacks in NFL history to accomplish that feat.
Stafford now faces fellow MVP candidate Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks at SoFi Stadium on Sunday in a battle for the top spot in the NFC West. Stafford is 6-3 all-time against Seattle, completing 63.5% of his passes for 2,499 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Odds to win MVP: +300
Jonathan Taylor rushed for 244 yards in the Colts’ international win over the Falcons on Sunday, reaching the end zone three times. (Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images)
Taylor continues to put up jaw-dropping numbers to keep himself in the MVP race. He finished with a career-high and franchise-record 286 scrimmage yards (244 rushing, 42 receiving) and three rushing touchdowns in his team’s 31-25 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin — the most rushing yards and most scrimmage yards ever in an international game.
With three rushing touchdowns in four different games this season, Taylor is the only player in NFL history to post four games with at least three rushing touchdowns through the first 10 weeks of the regular season.
Odds to win MVP: +600
4. Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks (Last week: No. 5)
Sam Darnold had another efficient performance in Week 10. Will he avenge the performance he had against the Rams this Sunday? (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
Darnold finished with 178 passing yards and a touchdown for a 111.8 passer rating as the Seahawks made quick work of the Arizona Cardinals last week, 44-22.
Darnold and the Seahawks will face a tough test on the road against the Rams this Sunday. The last time Darnold played against L.A.’s defense, he finished 25 of 40 for 245 yards, with a touchdown and two turnovers. Darnold was sacked nine times, finishing with a 77.6 passer rating in a 27-9 divisional loss to the Rams while the starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings.
Odds to win MVP: +1000
5. Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions (Last week: Unranked)
Jared Goff and the Lions’ offense had one of their best performances of the season in their 44-22 victory over the Commanders in Week 10. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Tied with the Chicago Bears for the top spot in the NFC North at 6-3, Goff and the Lions appeared to benefit from head coach Dan Campbell taking over offensive play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton. The Lions scored on eight consecutive drives and put 44 points on the scoreboard.
Goff is also tops in completion percentage through 10 weeks of the season (74%).
Odds to win MVP: +2800
Honorable mention: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Baker Mayfield
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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