NFC Notes: Jared Goff, Jordan Love, Lions, Packers, Panthers

Lions

Lions QB Jared Goff is entering his eighth NFL season and is hoping to replicate the success he found last season with Detroit.

“Can I do it again? I’d like to do better. I think that’s the goal is how can I get better,” Goff told Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “I had a decent year last year, but there’s a lot of things that I feel like I could’ve done a lot better to improve on, and I’ve worked on them this offseason and it starts over. You wish you could continue it, but you can’t. It starts back at 0-0 and all my season starts over, and I’ve got to continue to make those plays, work hard and make sure we’re on the same page.”

“I want to get better. Improve. Take my game to another level,” Goff added. “In our offense, I’m so fortunate to have the coaches we have and the players we have, but how can I lift everybody up even more and be the guy that is making everybody around me better. I want to just continue to add to my game and enter this prime of my career, running downhill and really catching some momentum.”

• Dianna Russini reports that the Bills, Lions, and Ravens were all interested in trading the 49ers for QB Trey Lance in deals that mainly involved a sixth-round pick that could become a fifth-rounder. However, the Cowboys offered a fourth and the deal was accepted by San Francisco.

Packers

Packers CB Jaire Alexander said QB Jordan Love has gotten more composed and isn’t easily shaken off his game.

“I don’t see Jordan get rattled at all. He’s pretty much the same. I’m always talking to him and trying to get in his head, but I don’t think it works,” Alexander said, via PFT.

Panthers

Colts HC Frank Reich said he has “a lot of confidence” in OT Ikem Ekwonu handling his spread offense after struggling with the system in 2022. 

“Lot of confidence in Ickey,” Reich said, via David Newton of ESPN. “I have no concerns about him playing winning football and being one of the true anchors of our offensive line. After the year that he had last year, the training camp he’s had, not only is he going to be a really good player for us, he’s going to be a good leader. We have had a couple of miscues that he’s been involved in, but those things will get worked out.”

Reich reiterated that Ekwonu has the ability to handle his offense and views him as a “complete player.”

“Ickey can handle it all,” Reich said. “He’s a complete player. … Listen, there is nothing proven yet. We all know he had a really good year last year. You just would think he’s going to continue to progress. And we believe he is and has progressed. But we just want to see that show up on tape when we get to Sundays.”

Ekwonu admits he must improve his blocking in Carolina’s spread offense and thinks he has the coaches and teammates to help him develop. 

“It’s something I’ve got to get better at, and I’m glad I’ve got the staff here, the players here, on both sides of the ball to help me get to that goal,” Ekwonu said.