With their win over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, the Detroit Lions clinched a playoff berth and Jared Goff got to make some NFL history in the process.
During Detroit’s 34-31 win, Goff completed 32 of 41 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns.
As a matter of fact, he was so good at spreading the ball around that he made NFL history.
Goff became just the third quarterback in NFL history to complete five passes to at least six different receivers in a regular-season game, joining Matt Hasselbeck and Colt McCoy.
McCoy’s performance came in 2011 with the Browns, which means no QB had pulled off this feat in 13 years.
The Detroit Lions secured a postseason berth with their victory over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, and Jared Goff had the opportunity to create NFL history.
For 283 yards and three touchdowns, Goff completed 32 of 41 passes in Detroit’s 34-31 victory. Spreading the ball around was another skill that Goff demonstrated. He was actually so skilled at spreading the ball that he created NFL history.
In a regular-season game, Goff became just the third quarterback in NFL history to complete five passes to at least six different receivers, joining Colt McCoy and Matt Hasselbeck. Detroit has been involved in two of the three games where this has occurred, with Hasselbeck’s performance actually occurring against the Lions in 2008. No quarterback had accomplished this feat in 13 years prior to McCoy’s 2011 performance with the Browns.
In addition to making some obscure history, Goff’s performance was the first time in NFL history that a quarterback completed a pass to six or more receivers and had every single one of them finish with at least five receptions, according to OptaStats. Not all of Hasselbeck and McCoy’s receivers finished with five or more receptions.
The performance of the Lions’ receivers during the game is shown here.
David Montgomery: 33 yards from five catches.
The Amon-Ra St. Brown: 43 yards on five catches.
Sam LaPorta: 54 yards on 5 catches.
Jameson Williams: 80 yards from five catches.
Jahmyr Gibbs: 30 yards and a touchdown on six catches.
Tim Patrick: 43 yards and two touchdowns on six catches.
Brock Wright was the only other player targeted, and nobody else was able to catch a pass.
Patrick was the biggest surprise, catching his first touchdown pass since 2021. Due to injuries (he tore his ACL in 2022 and his Achilles in 2023), the Lions receiver missed the previous two seasons (2022–2023). Although Patrick has caught multiple passes in a number of games this season, this was the first time he scored a touchdown for the Lions and he also received two.
“The journey was long, but it was worth it and it brought me here to Detroit and made me the man I am today,” Patrick remarked after the victory. After a two-touchdown performance on “Thursday Night Football,” I’ve won the most games in my career. I simply feel incredibly fortunate and grateful to have this team. “,”.
