Lions' Goff: 'I am playing the best football of my career'

It's been a special season for Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff.

"I feel like I am playing the best football of my career right now," Goff said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Eric Woodyard.

Goff entered the NFL as the first overall pick in the 2016 draft and played his first five seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. He earned two Pro Bowl berths in his first three pro years and set career highs with 4,688 yards and 32 touchdowns while helping the Rams reach the Super Bowl in 2018.

"I've played a lot of good football in my career, but I feel as comfortable as I've ever felt," he added. "I'm getting older, I'm understanding the game more, and it's just everything coming together a little bit."

The 28-year-old joined Detroit via trade during the 2021 offseason, passing for only 3,245 yards and 19 touchdowns against eight interceptions through 14 games in his first year with the team.

This year, however, the Goff-led Lions' offense ranks sixth in points per game. The veteran signal-caller has amassed 3,022 yards and 19 touchdowns to seven interceptions, good for a passer rating of 95.7 - his highest since 2018.

The 5-7 Lions, who've won four of their last five games, currently sit second in the NFC North.

"We're still not there," Goff said. "We're 5-7, but a lot of positivity going on right now and things moving in the right direction. We're playing really good football, regardless of who we're playing or what the score has been, it's been really good football the last five weeks, and can we continue that for another five weeks would be the goal and to finish the season strong."

Detroit hosts the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. The team hasn't made the playoffs since the 2016 season and has an 8% chance of reaching the postseason in 2022, according to FiveThirtyEight.