By Blessing 
Jared Goff Reunites With a Familiar Face as Lions Prepare for Bengals Battle
The Detroit Lions will take the field for their fifth game of the season on Sunday, October 5, in what’s shaping up to be a high-stakes showdown on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals. Detroit enters the matchup with a 3-1 record, while Cincinnati sits at 2-2. One advantage for the Lions is that the Bengals will again be without their franchise quarterback, Joe Burrow, who’s sidelined until at least early December. Even so, this isn’t a game the Lions can take lightly. They’ll need to stay sharp to leave Cincinnati with a 4-1 mark.
Beyond the standings, there’s a personal twist to this one. Lions quarterback Jared Goff shares a bit of history with Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, and that connection could make Sunday’s game especially interesting. Taylor knows Goff well — well enough to recognize his strengths and tendencies — but the Lions’ confident leader doesn’t seem too concerned about that familiarity.
Ahead of the matchup, Taylor spoke with the media about his past working relationship with Goff. As it turns out, their bond goes back several years.
Zac Taylor Reflects on His Time Coaching Goff
Leading up to the Week 5 clash, Taylor opened up about his respect for both Goff and Lions head coach Dan Campbell. Before becoming Cincinnati’s head coach, Taylor worked with Goff in 2018 as the quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Rams. The two spent a full season together during the Rams’ Super Bowl run.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for the job Dan (Campbell) and his staff do on offense,” Taylor said on Wednesday, October 1. “I coached Jared (Goff) for two years. I’ve got a ton of respect for him.”
Taylor added, “It’s a tough task and there’s going to be some above the neck stuff early in the week our guys have to own. So, when we get the physical reps (Thursday) and Friday, we make the most of them because it’ll be less this week than normal. I trust our guys will be able to do that.”
With Burrow out, Jake Browning has been filling in at quarterback for Cincinnati. So far, Browning has completed 64 percent of his passes while throwing three touchdowns and five interceptions. Despite his inexperience, Taylor said he’s confident in his backup, noting, “I feel extremely confident in Jake Browning” heading into the matchup with Detroit.
Detroit Keeps Climbing in the NFL Rankings
The Lions’ rise hasn’t gone unnoticed around the league. In the latest NFL Week 5 power rankings released Tuesday, September 30, analyst Eric Edholm placed Detroit at No. 3 overall.
“Detroit was not prolific offensively against Cleveland, but no one has been this season,” Edholm wrote. He noted that while the Lions weren’t at their explosive best, they’ve taken care of the football. Still, penalties and timing between Goff and wide receiver Jameson Williams remain areas for improvement.
Edholm added, “The Lions have enough options and weapons to win a contest such as Sunday’s, and the defense and special teams did enough to step up in a game that was 20-10 entering the fourth quarter. Some tough opponents await prior to the Week 8 bye, and though there’s no panic, Dan Campbell’s group still has a few screws to tighten up.”
If Campbell’s track record says anything, those screws will be tightened by kickoff. Detroit looks every bit like a contender ready to keep roaring.