Week 1 of the NFL is finally here, and the Saints are set to visit the Detroit Lions to begin the season. This will feature a very interesting QB matchup: veteran Jared Goff, who is entering his 11th season, versus the up-and-coming face of the Saints, Tyler Shough, who is entering Year 2 but his first season as the full-time starter.
Goff and the Lions are looking to bounce back after a disappointing 9-8 season. Talk about a changing of the times. The Lions used to be an organization that would celebrate
a nine-win season, but after reaching the NFC Divisional Round in 2024 and falling short to then-rookie QB Jayden Daniels, the Lions had high expectations for the 2025 season. But there were some substantial losses on the coaching staff that really affected the overall play of the team.
In 2024, Jared Goff had a fantastic season when the Lions finished 15-2. He completed 72.4% of his passes for 4,629 yards, 37 TDs, and 12 INTs. He was sacked 31 times.
But what truly set the offense apart in 2024 was the running game. The Lions rushed for 146.4 yards per game that season, and following Ben Johnson’s departure to become the head coach of the Bears, the Lions would drop that number to 120.1 yards per game, which was virtually middle of the pack.
As for Goff, his production in 2025 remained virtually the same. The veteran QB is a prolific pocket passer. He finished the season with a 68% completion rate, 4,564 passing yards, 34 TDs, and only eight INTs.
Since Goff was traded to the Lions for Matthew Stafford, there’s been a consensus that he’s just been an average QB, but that’s not really the case. He has been a really good QB and is a major reason why the Lions have been a relevant franchise since he and his head coach arrived.
Goff is a rhythm passer. He is excellent with ball placement and accuracy, which is why his completion percentage has hovered around 70% over the past two seasons. In 2025, Goff was tied for the lead in the NFL for the quickest time to throw at 2.57 seconds.
Goff will also play within the structure, and this is aided by his pre-snap and post-snap processing. He is entering the 11th season of his career. It is hard for a defense to confuse a QB with his level of experience at this stage of his career. Add to that the fact that he has the physical tools to make every throw across the entire field.
But the intermediate area of the field is where he excels the most. His average depth of target is seven yards.
What does Goff not do well? Two areas stand out the most: mobility and Big-Time Throws.
Big-Time Throws are throws that are further downfield and have tighter windows to complete. Goff will not consistently challenge downfield. In 623 dropbacks, he had 16 BTTs. That ranked 23rd among qualified QBs.
His mobility is an issue as well. He scrambled just five times in all of 2025. He will not run away if the pocket collapses.
The Saints will have to play sound defense and get Goff off schedule. They need to challenge him in the intermediate areas of the field without giving up wide-open shots to big-time playmakers like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
The Saints are coming in featuring the young Tyler Shough, and Shough represents the hope for a brighter future in New Orleans.
Statistically, Goff and Shough are very similar. The difference between the two is that Shough will actually run the ball. Goff had zero rushing TDs in 2025. Shough had three in nine starts.
Tyler comes in after finishing the 2025 season with a strong close to his rookie campaign. He finished with a 5-4 record in nine starts, but he also had 2,384 passing yards, a 67.6% completion rate, 10 touchdowns through the air, and six INTs. Shough also had 186 yards on the ground to go along with the aforementioned three TDs.
Shough had a very impressive 91.3 passer rating for his rookie season. Shough is also very comparable to Goff in that they both finished around a 68% completion rate and seven yards per attempt.
Now, where Shough shines is when the play breaks down. He can still find success. He is very good off-script, extending plays and even scrambling for yards.
Shough is also not afraid to put the ball into tight windows. In a little more than half the number of dropbacks Goff had, Shough had nearly the same number of BTTs. Goff had 16 in 623 dropbacks. Shough had 13 in 378.
Shough also had an 8.7-yard average depth of target, showcasing his ability to push the ball downfield.
Shough was able to achieve this level of success without having the same level of weapons around him as Goff. The Saints retooled the wide receiver room this offseason and added an explosive threat to the running back room that should aid in the growth of their young QB.
Sunday’s matchup will be a fun one to watch, and it will be a game that could showcase whether the Saints are truly putting themselves on the path toward becoming a playoff team or if the Lions have healed from the shortcomings of last season and can once again become a team to beat in the NFC.
What do you think of this QB matchup, and what are your expectations for the game on Sunday? Share your thoughts in the comments.
