Lions QB Jared Goff threw for 327 yards and 4 TDs in Thursday night’s 41-31 loss to the Bills. He started slowly, totaling just 2 passing yards over Detroit’s first 2 possessions. But after the Lions fell behind 21-0 early in the second quarter, Goff got rolling in catch-up mode. He hit RB Jahmyr Gibbs up the seam for an 11-yard score in the second quarter and then threw for 199 yards and 3 TDs in the second half.
2026 Fantasy Football Impact
Goff was not the Lions’ problem on Thursday night. He was pinpoint accurate all game, completing 68% of his passes at 8.6 yards per attempt. His 2 TDs to WR Amon-Ra St. Brown were especially impressive, each thrown into tight coverage where only his WR could make the catch.
Detroit’s defense? A major problem. The Bills racked up 41 points and 446 total yards while only punting twice. The Lions have now coughed up 71 points and 815 total yards through 2 games.
It’s been good news for Goff’s fantasy production, though. The Lions are sitting on a 60.7% pass rate through 2 games, up from 58.4% last year. And Goff has averaged 38.5 passes per game, up from 34.0 last year.
The defense should improve when it gets safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph back. But that’s still at least 2 more games away, and potentially longer.
The Lions get weaker offenses the next 2 weeks in the Jets and Panthers, but we’re not sure this defense can stop anyone right now. Expect Goff to keep throwing plenty and remain at least a low-end QB1 for fantasy teams.
