HOUSTON — No, this wasn’t a sign of decline. It was just a challenging game.

These things occur. Just ask Tom Brady — though nobody is suggesting that Jared Goff is on Brady’s level.

Even the most talented quarterbacks can throw interceptions, misread throws, and send the ball into the ground, which is precisely what Goff did more than he’d like to recall this season. Top quarterbacks occasionally lose games, except for — apparently — Patrick Mahomes. They also can have off nights.

Unfortunately, Goff experienced an off night. He successfully completed half of his passes — at least to the Detroit Lions. Of the six he threw towards the Houston Texans, only one was incomplete.

Humor is fair game after a victory. Besides, what else can you do after tossing five interceptions and almost letting a sixth slip through? (For those who may have missed it, Texas cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. dropped a long pass meant for Jameson Williams early in the match.)

Goff managed to laugh it off, showcasing a bit of self-mockery late Sunday night after the Lions defeated the Texans, 26-23, with a last-second 52-yard field goal from Jake Bates, who is proving to be quite reliable.

“Cold-blooded,” Goff remarked about Bates’ kick.

It was the 58-yarder by Bates on the Lions’ previous drive that made the final kick even achievable.

However, let’s not overlook another factor that made that kick possible:

Goff.

He exhibited a certain cold-blooded determination as well.

Especially when it counted. Needing 6 yards for a first down while also wanting to run down the clock before the field goal? Goff was the right choice to find those crucial yards.

Even on a night marked by near catastrophe with six potential interceptions.

Regarding the 50% completion rate?

That may have been acceptable in the 1970s, but it doesn’t quite hold up today, particularly for one of the NFL’s more precise passers. Although the surprising number of interceptions will stick in people’s minds, the low completion rate might reveal more.

The Lions are undoubtedly hoping this performance doesn’t indicate much. They surely wouldn’t want Houston to have provided the rest of the league a template on how to take down their typically balanced and explosive offense. Yes, everyone knows that pressuring any quarterback lowers their completion rate.

But did the Texans uncover a vulnerability in their rush package or strategies?

Not really, because a defensive coordinator has limited options, and Goff has faced them all before. And if something new appears? He’ll note it and adapt by the next time he’s on the field.

No, the challenges the Lions faced from Houston had more to do with their players, including their talented edge rushers, agile tackles, and effective secondary. The Texans were able to put pressure on Goff — closing in on half of his dropbacks — and stifled the run game; the Lions barely managed 23 rushing yards in the first half.

Dismantle any quarterback’s run support, and it leads to scrambling in a slight panic. Well, except for Patrick Mahomes, right?

Wrong. Even he can’t lead an offense to score 30 points without effective run support and skillful players.

Football remains a team sport, no matter how high we pedestal elite quarterbacks; it’s not just about one individual. A single player can indeed make a tremendous impact, and it helps when that player is a game-changer.

Luckily for the Lions, their quarterback performs well, even during tough nights.

Although tough and challenging are subjective terms, and what seems daunting for some may not be the same for Goff.

He has a strong memory and hasn’t forgotten his past experiences. He remembers what it’s like to feel discarded. That kind of memory could lead to tension and second-guessing — not just throwing five picks.

What was going through his mind on Sunday night after throwing his fourth interception?

“Mentally, I’ve been to the bottom,” he stated after the game. “A few unlucky plays aren’t going to derail me.”

He’s not downplaying the frustration, though.

Sometimes a quarterback might have a pass deflected and intercepted, or he might overshoot his tight end, or face a hit that causes his pass to ricochet off a jumble of defenders before being caught by the opponents in “battle red,” not Honolulu Blue.

A quarterback must be able to shake that off.

“It’s a battle,” Goff mentioned.

However?

“I didn’t think I was performing poorly,” he explained. “I had a good view of things. The tipped pass? They made some solid plays. There were a few moments that just didn’t go our way. I never wavered in my confidence. I felt I was executing as expected.”

His coach shared that view.

“Here’s the reality,” Dan Campbell noted, “Forget about the one before halftime—it was a Hail Mary, just throwing it up there with a bit of hope. That didn’t pan out, so now you’re down to four. Only one of them was actually a bad decision. The others were simply situational. For example, the throw to Sam LaPorta was a solid one; that’s what we instruct him to do. LaPorta took a bit longer to get his head around and couldn’t quite reach the ball, but the timing said, ‘Go for it.’ We were just slightly off.”

“He and Jamo? It should have been at a higher angle, so these small factors come into play. I won’t tell him anything because I don’t feel like this is a case of him messing up.”

“These weren’t poor choices; it just wasn’t our day. And when things aren’t going your way but you still manage to win, that indicates a strong team.”

Also showcasing the resilience of a quarterback who can throw five interceptions yet still make a crucial third-down conversion with precision.

Speaking of focus, Goff said he maintained his composure Sunday night in Houston, regardless of appearances. Ultimately, his performance spoke for itself. When it was critical, he made the right plays, which is always what counts.

It’s why he reassured his teammates with, “I’m fine, just hold tight. We’ll figure this out.”

It’s why he urged his coaches to stick to the game plan and trust in his ability to utilize the entire playbook.

It’s also why he’s hinting that “every team faces setbacks, and the strong ones bounce back.”

You could think of it as “building resilience,” a term often used in football.

For these Lions, who once again made a comeback on the road.

And for Goff, who wasn’t as flawless as during the comeback win in Minneapolis last month, but still guided his team to score 19 points in the second half against a strong defense that had been very effective.

“Winning a game with five turnovers from your offense?” Goff remarked. “Being able to dig deep in those tough situations and come out ahead prepares you for future challenges.”

Yes, he acknowledged that he would love to take back a few of those interceptions. He had to “deal with it somewhat” and accept that “yeah, it happened.”

Competitive spirit, right?

But he wasn’t going to throw away the confidence he had built throughout his football career. Indeed, five interceptions is a notable figure. Only nine previous Lions quarterbacks had thrown that many in a single game, and only one—Frankie Sinkwich in 1944—managed to win thereafter.

Still, context matters, and there was a game to win, and Goff effectively led his team down the field to achieve that win.

What was his key to success?

“Don’t stray from what I know I can do,” stated Goff.

And he didn’t. Neither did his teammates. His coaches remained confident too.

It’s no surprise that the Lions stand at 8-1. They remember the tough moments, but they also move forward. This mindset starts with the quarterback, especially on nights like Sunday.