Lions quarterback Jared Goff said the field conditions at Bank of America Stadium weren’t up to par on Saturday, calling them “below NFL level standard” particularly before the game.
“I don’t know what the deal is here, but they need to figure out a way to make the turf not feel like cement,” Goff said after Detroit’s 37-23 loss to the Panthers.
Carolina’s players seem to agree.
“It’s probably going to take all of us to stop going to practice here until we get grass,” linebacker Shaq Thompson told the AP last month. “I mean they make enough money off us to maintain grass. I hate to say this but with our last owner [Jerry Richardson] we had grass. … Listen to your players. We want grass.”
It’s possible the weather had something to do with the conditions being especially poor on Saturday. The game-time temperature was 20 degrees and windy in Charlotte, the coldest game in the history of Bank America Stadium.
Yetur Gross-Matos of the Panthers sacks Lions quarterback Jared Goff on Dec. 24, 2022.Getty Images
Lions quarterback Jared Goff runs with the ball against the Panthers on Dec. 24, 2022.Getty ImagesGoff said the field got better as the game went on, but that he was happy no one got seriously hurt.
“Pregame, it was no condition to be played on,” Goff said.
Goff threw for 355 yards and three touchdowns on the day, though the Lions (7-8) failed to mount a comeback after going down 24-7 at halftime.
The Panthers (6-9) are half a game behind the Buccaneers for the NFC South lead.
