Lions QB Goff unfazed by possibility of cold, inclement conditions in Windy City

Allen Park — It's hardly an unusual opinion for a quarterback, but Mark Brunell readily admits he hated playing in wind. During his 17-year career, the Detroit Lions position coach just never felt comfortable when the wind was swirling or gusting.

Brunnell grew up in Southern California, where inclement days are few and far between. His off-coast hometown of Santa Maria is essentially sun-drenched year-round, rarely gets too hot or too cold, and experiences a little more than a foot of rainfall annually. As you might imagine, a person can grow accustomed to such comforts.

Lions quarterback Jared Goff was raised a few hours up the California coast from Brunell. So naturally, you could reasonably expect Goff to have similar inclinations for near-perfect conditions. But unlike his position coach, he isn't phased by the prospect of playing in subpar weather.

"Every quarterback is different," Brunell said. "Wind used to bother me. I hated wind. I hated windy days. It doesn't bother Jared at all. It doesn't affect him at all."

Why does it matter? Well, next up on Detroit's docket is a trip to Chicago. You know, the place nicknamed the Windy City. And for the Lions, who play their home games in a climate-controlled dome — and have yet to face challenging weather conditions on the road this season — cold, wind and maybe a little rain await across Lake Michigan.

The way Goff sees it, weather is one of many variables outside of his control, so he doesn't spend much time worrying about its impact. It doesn't mean he ignores it, but he knows he can't let it cloud his mindset. And why would he? He's had some pretty great performances during his pro career when the weather has been anything but ideal.

The first example he points to is a 2017 matchup with the New York Giants. It was a soggy affair from rain showers that started prior to kickoff and persisted throughout the contest. It happened during his first full season as an NFL starter and he stuffed the stat sheet that afternoon, throwing for a personal-best 311 yards and four touchdowns in a 51-17 blowout victory.

Or how about Goff's performance in Chicago last season, when the wind chill at kickoff was a frosty 26 degrees? In that matchup he completed 19-of-26 for 236 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions, leading the Lions back from a 14-point, second-half deficit for a 31-30 victory on the road.

"Whatever it may be, we’ll be ready, and I’ll be ready," Goff said. "I’ve played in cold games, and windy games, and all sorts of games. So, yeah, we’ll see what it is, and I’ll be ready to go."

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers