It’s no secret that the Detroit Lions lack dynamic talent at the wideout position. They’re currently without Tyrell Williams (brain injury) and Quintez Cephus (broken collarbone). And there’s no timetable on Williams’ return, while the Lions expect Cephus to miss the rest of the season.

However, their absence is not the reason the Lions aren’t getting in the endzone. Once again, deja vu strikes this team as quarterback Jared Goff has gone four consecutive games without a first-half touchdown.

And honestly, his showing vs. the Bengals on Sunday might be his worst performance this season. In the first half, Goff went 9-for-15 for 38 yards and one interception. He had a horrendous passer rating of 36.8. Along with that, he averaged 4.2 yards per pass.

That’s deplorable for a starting quarterback, especially one that is a two-time Pro Bowler. As mentioned before, Goff doesn’t have the best options to throw besides T.J. Hockenson. At the same time, Goff isn’t giving his receivers a chance to succeed or fail. He’s either overthrowing, underthrowing, or missing his targets completely.

Oct 17, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) just gets the pass off as he takes pressure from Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

He missed a completely wide-open Hockenson on a play that would’ve ended his ugly streak in the first half. The Lions are in a rebuild, and the expectation is that they would lose some games. At the same time, though, when they traded Matthew Stafford to the Rams for Goff and the several picks, it’s safe to surmise they expected at least average QB play out of Goff.

Jared Goff’s play this season is also growing old with the fanbase, with some wanting David Blough to finish the game. After all, it’s not like he could do much worse. Along with that, some fans on Twitter are even begging for Lions to bring in former NFL MVP Cam Newton for a workout.

Newton recently received the COVID-19 vaccination and is a free agent after the New England Patriots released him to start the season. Granted, Newton isn’t that much of a better passer than Goff, but for a team in need of a win, all options should be on the table.

Because there is enough film to showcase that as long as Jared Goff is under center, the Detroit Lions could become the first team to be both 0-16 and 0-17.

Follow Kory Woods on Twitter at KoryEWoods.