IN PHOTOS: Jared Goff and Christen Harper turn blowout Lions win vs Broncos into romantic weekend

On Saturday, Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions routed the Denver Broncos 42-17 to put themselves closer to clinching the NFC North for the first time since the days of Barry Sanders.

The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback was exceptional in the game, throwing for a monstrous five touchdowns. And to celebrate, he dined out with his model girlfriend Christen Harper (who brought along her friends Elizabeth Turner and Kim Henderson) a day later.

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Jared Goff not being complacent as Lions near first NFC North title in 30 seasons

Could the Jared Goff era turn out to be the greatest ever in Detroit Lions history?

Back when the former first overall pick joined the team via trade from the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, they were in dire straits, having finished dead last in the NFC North for three seasons. With a new head coach-general manager tandem of Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes at the helm, they seemed set for another potentially futile rebuild.

The detractors initially received gratification when the Lions finished last again at 3-13-1. But in 2022, something magical happened.

After a 1-6 start, they proceeded to win eight of their next ten, good enough for second in their division. They were eliminated from playoff contention in the final week via head-to-head tiebreak with the Seattle Seahawks, but overall it was a massive improvement.

Leading that charge was Goff, who threw for over 4,000 yards and 20 touchdowns for the first time since donning Honolulu blue. In 2023, he seems to have only gotten better, finding himself close to breaching 4,000 and 30, and giving the Lions their first division title in 30 years, which they can accomplish against the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday.

In an exclusive interview with FOX 2's Dan Miller, Jared Goff said the task would not be easy:

"We got our work cut out. They're the defending (divisional) champions; they're not gonna by any means give it to us. They play hard, long, (and) fast. They're really good. I've got a lot of respect for Kevin O'Connell (head coach), the way he coaches those guys. They'll be ready to go, and so are we."

The game can be seen on FOX at 1 PM ET.