Goff, the word after game 3

Bonsignore: Rams QB Jared Goff comes full circle, but the ride is just beginning

VINCENT BONSIGNORE

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/09/21/bonsignore-rams-qb-jared-goff-comes-full-circle-but-the-ride-is-just-beginning/

SANTA CLARA — Jared Goff returned home on Thursday. And this time the Rams actually gave him a uniform and let him play.

For which he rewarded them by plunging a knife into the heart of the San Francisco 49ers, the team he grew up rooting for growing up in the Bay Area, before anxiously watching the Rams defense deliver a gallant last-minute stand to preserve a wildly entertaining 41-39 win over their bitter division foes.

In the process, he sent a decisive message to a national television audience that he clearly isn’t the bust so many deemed him and the Rams are no longer the pushovers they’ve been for far too long.

The two concepts are not mutually exclusive.

Goff’s redemption and the Rams’ resurgence are unquestionably linked. The second-year quarterback’s resurrection from the ashes of draft day blunder to an efficient, functional, sometimes dynamic NFL quarterback has breathed life into the Rams morbid offense and made them a team to be taken seriously.
All of which was on display Thursday when he completed 22 of 28 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns.

This is the same stadium, mind you, where Goff stood humbly on the sideline watching the Rams’ season opener last year. He was wearing a sweat suit rather than a uniform, the result of then Rams head coach Jeff Fisher banishing him to the inactive list rather than putting him on the active roster.

It was a humiliating way for the first overall pick in the 2016 draft to begin his NFL career, and a bit of an ominous one. Goff never quite recovered. By the time he actually got the nod as the starter, the Rams were playing out their season in body if not spirit, Goff was in woefully over his head, and with absolutely no help on the field or the sideline, Goff’s rookie season deteriorated into a nightmare.

The talk of bust and mistake and overrated soon turned into a chorus.

It was premature, of course. Goff was set up to fail last year. Not by design. No one set out to sabotage him. But the Rams’ lack of talent and the stubborn lip service Fisher paid to quarterback development and offensive imagination would have done in plenty of other quarterbacks, let alone a 21-year-old rookie making the transition from a college spread offense to the NFL.

“It’s rough being a rookie and being a starter. I know,” guard Rodger Saffold said. “It’s tough. Just to be able to go out there and lead your guys from the quarterback position is a rough journey.”

But what’s done is done.

“You know, what’s crazy is how he humbled himself and just went to work after that. Now he’s trusting us. Trusting the guys in front of him,” Saffold said. “There’s gonna be battles, there’s going to be technique that’s off sometimes, but to be able to stand there in the pocket and throw with someone barreling after you or someone right in your face, that makes all the difference.”

On Thursday, Goff came full circle.

“He’s gradually becoming the quarterback we want him to be and the quarterback he’s supposed to be,” Saffold said.

The same stadium that set in motion the torturous first season he endured as a rookie became the stage he used to rehabilitate himself in front of a national audience. A better offensive line, the dependability and explosiveness of wide receivers like Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins and Cooper Kupp and the imaginative scheme and offensive play calling of Sean McVay absolutely helped, of course.

But even the Greatest Show on Turf needed a trigger man.

And in Goff, the Rams might finally have found the heir to that distinction.

They’ve scored 40 or more points twice in three games while scoring 11 touchdowns already. Who would have thought that after last year?

“There’s no limits or expectations on ourselves,” Goff proclaimed.

He isn’t out of the woods yet. The NFL is the kind of unforgiving beast that makes quarterbacks prove over and over again they’re worthy.

But the bust talk should cease, not that it was ever valid to begin with.

Goff has been efficient through the first three games of the season with flashes of brilliant. There were throws he made on Thursday like the 65-yarder he dropped into the hands of Robert Woods and the 47-yarder he soared over two defenders into the arms of Sammy Watkins that, frankly, few quarterbacks are capable of making.

Follow
NFL ✔ @NFL
This @JaredGoff16 pass… PERFECT.
This @SammyWatkins grab… PERFECT.

This @JaredGoff16 pass… PERFECT.
This @SammyWatkins grab… PERFECT.

What. A. Play. #LARvsSF #TNF pic.twitter.com/3Hl9LuK1Ta

— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2017

It wasn’t just the hand full of breathtaking throws he made, but the way he managed the game and how timely he was in delivering when the Rams absolutely needed it.

He was 9 of 9 for 115 yards in the third quarter and led a decisive touchdown drive late in the period to answer a 49ers touchdown that cut the Rams’ lead to seven points. In doing so, he extended their lead to 34-20.

In the fourth quarter, he delivered on two critical third-down plays by using his feet and eyes to buy time and find the open man. On the first, he spotted Todd Gurley on third-and-10 after other options were closed off to him. Gurley turned it into a 22-yard gain for a first down.

On the second, he waited just long enough on third and four for Watkins to find an open spot in the middle of the field, then found him for what turned out to be a 13-yard touchdown to make it 41-26.

The crisp play in the third quarter, the two third-down completions, the breathtaking throws to Woods and Watkins are all indicative of a quarterback with an elite skill set. And one who is now emerging before our very eyes.

“I thought Jared managed the game really well. Distributed the ball to the playmakers, gave guys the chance down the field,” McVay said. “Those are the kinds of things we expect from him.”

Goff came full circle on Thursday.

But the ride is really just beginning.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 7 months ago by zn.

Rams’ Jared Goff impresses in Bay Area homecoming

By Michael Silver

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000849148/article/rams-jared-goff-impresses-in-bay-area-homecoming

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — She had a skinny margarita in her hand and a knot in her stomach, a familiar feeling intensified by the circumstances. As Nancy Goff sat at a Mexican restaurant near Levi’s Stadium on Thursday afternoon and stole a quiet moment with her husband, Jerry, as they entertained a group of fellow Northern Californians, the mother of the Los Angeles Rams’ starting quarterback was conspicuously nervous about his nationally televised Bay Area homecoming.

“I’m always bad on game day, and this might be a little worse than usual,” Nancy said. “Night game, playing the 49ers, all these people we know here to see him… I mean, I think Jared will do great… but it’s always stressful.”

Three hours later, Jared Goff went out and summoned a tour de force performance that put his parents at ease — and did the same for Rams fans everywhere, and for the legions of skeptics who dogged him after a trying rookie season.

Goff, the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, showed a Thursday Night Football audience exactly why the Rams gave up so much to get him. The second-year quarterback from nearby Cal completed 22-of-28 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns and led the Rams (2-1) to a thrilling, 41-39 victory over the 49ers, an outcome that wasn’t secure until star defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s fourth-down sack of San Francisco quarterback Brian Hoyer to extinguish a furious Niners comeback with 1:44 to go.

“That was scary,” Goff said afterward in a private conversation at his locker. “But man was it fun. There’s something about being back in the Bay Area that gets me going. Honestly, it felt like we were in Berkeley — scoring all the time and needing to score some more. They kept coming at us. I thought I was gonna have to go out and score one more time to win it.”

That wasn’t necessary, thanks to a squelched two-point conversion with 2:17 to go and the subsequent defensive stand following a successful San Francisco onside kick. What Goff did do was continue to win over many of the cynics who wrote him off during his miserable rookie season, when he struggled behind an ineffective offensive line and in an oft-criticized scheme that helped provoke head coach Jeff Fisher’s dismissal.

The Rams proceeded to hire the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, then-30-year-old Sean McVay. And the former Washington offensive coordinator has made an immediate and emphatic impact in L.A., with Goff as the most obvious beneficiary.

“Sean is so good,” Goff said. “I love this offense. We had 78 plays sent in, I think, and there was maybe one of his calls I didn’t like. He gives me so many answers. I’m loving it.”

After Goff’s near-flawless effort in front of 70,178 fans at Levi’s — and after two throws in particular — the affection was decidedly mutual.

“This was his best performance yet,” McVay told me as he sat in the coaches’ dressing area of the visitors’ locker room. “Especially after last week (a 27-20 defeat to Washington), when he threw that late interception — he just bounced back and came up huge in crunch time. You know what I like about him? In games, he does not f—- flinch. He’s mentally tough, in good times and bad, and that’s exactly what you want your quarterback to be like. Because it’s an occupational hazard: Bad things are gonna happen when you play this position.”

The first of the two plays that blew away McVay was a gorgeous 47-yard pass to Sammy Watkins on the first drive of the second half, which ended with a Greg Zuerlein field goal that pushed the Rams’ lead to 27-13. Goff, after selling a nice play-fake to halfback Todd Gurley (28 carries, 113 yards, two touchdowns; five receptions, 36 yards, one TD), lofted a rainbow toward the left sideline that fell into Watkins’ arms, eluding Niners defensive backs Dontae Johnson and Jimmie Ward.

“It was a run-pass option,” McVay said. “It takes stones to throw the ball there.”

The second play, a third-and-10 checkdown to Gurley with 10:57 left in the game, was a testament to Goff’s brains.

“He got all the way through the progression and found Todd on the backside,” McVay said of Goff. “It was basically his fifth read. That’s impressive.”

After getting the first down, Gurley broke a tackle and ended up with a 27-yard gain, putting the ball at the San Francisco 19. Two plays later, Goff found Watkins (six catches, 106 yards, two TDs) underneath for a 13-yard score, increasing the Rams’ lead to 41-26.

“Great night for Jared,” McVay said. “and I think he’s only gonna get better and better.”

And on this night, as she and Jerry drove 75 miles north to their home in nearby Novato, Nancy Goff felt much better than she had in the hours before the game.

J.B. Long @JB_Long
Per @NFLResearch, @RamsNFL Jared Goff’s red zone numbers in 2017:

11-11, 5 TD, 0 INT, 137.3 passer rating

—

Jared Goff on throws targeted 10+ yards downfield:

15-24, 423 yards (17.6 YPA)
1 TD, 0 INTs
QB Rating: 140.1

— Mike Renner (@PFF_Mike) September 22, 2017

The Rams built a team for Jared Goff, and it’s starting to pay off

The Rams made a series of moves to help their QB succeed. Retired NFL lineman Geoff Schwartz shows why that has Goff looking like a totally different player.

Geoff Schwartz

https://www.sbnation.com/2017/9/17/16320036/los-angeles-rams-jared-goff-development-breakout-rams-nfl

Update: Goff and the Rams showed again Thursday night in 41-39 win over the 49ers just what a difference this all makes. Goff was nearly flawless on Thursday night, completing 22 of 28 passes for 292 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.

Jared Goff was the first pick in the 2016 NFL draft, by the Los Angeles Rams, because he’s uber talented. He’s got a lively arm, he can make all the throws, and he understands the game. He also wasn’t ready to play in 2016. He came from a college offense that was nothing like what he’d have to run the NFL, and he was drafted by a staff that wasn’t designed to help him achieve success in his first season.

I believe it’s imperative for young quarterbacks in the modern style of football to play under offensive-minded head coaches. The learning curve for a quarterback can be steep because of the college systems they play in.

When you have an offensive-minded head coach, the entire operation in the building is geared towards the offense. Practice is set up with a nod towards the offense. The free agent pick ups are geared towards helping and protecting the quarterback.

Look no further than the Rams. Out is Jeff Fisher and in is Sean McVay, the youngest head coach in the NFL. He was brought in to fix Jared Goff. What did the Rams do right away? They signed left tackle Andrew Whitworth and center John Sullivan. Give Goff protection. They drafted Cooper Kupp, signed Robert Woods and traded for Sammy Watkins. Give Goff weapons.

Next in line to help Jared Goff start reaching his potential is the offensive scheme. This is why Sean McVay was hired. Coach McVay worked wonders in Washington with Kirk Cousins.

With McVay calling the plays, Cousins threw for 4,166 and 4,917 yards in 2015 and 2016. Washington ran a steady diet of play-action passes off its zone run game. This gives easy reads for the quarterback and opportunities for big-chunk plays. It builds confidence in a young quarterback

This is exactly what the Rams offense was last week against the Colts. Steady run game, followed up with play action passes. In 2016, Goff had a dreadful 5.3 yards per pass attempt. In the first game of the 2017 season, that number jumped to 10.6. Yes, it’s a small sample size, but this is just the start of this offense.

Let’s dive into some of those completions.

This first play is something that should fire up Rams fans. Goff is under center, turns his back to fake a handoff to Gurley, squares around, and without hesitation, throws a dart for a completion.

This is important because it shows that Goff read the defense correctly, and knew the timing of the route. There was zero doubt when he turned around, he was slinging the rock into that open window. This is much improved from last season.

Here’s a long play-action pass to Cooper Kupp, one of his new weapons. Kupp was a great pickup for the Rams, a reliable route runner with great hands

One more easy pitch and catch for Goff. Setting him and the offense up for success.

The Rams also used formations to help Goff with defensive reads and he did the rest. Here the Rams line up their tight end in a 1×3 formation, allowing him to be alone on the top of the field. This lets Goff to see it’s man coverage, with a linebacker trying to man up the tight end. He recognizes this, as he should, and drops off a dime. This is the special arm talent that got Goff drafted so high.

This was my favorite play of the game for the Rams offense.

1) Look at the protection. What a difference for a young quarterback. Goff has all day to throw.

2) Goff has all day to throw, goes through his progression and throws a dart to Kupp for a touchdown. His mechanics are maybe not the best here, but the throw was outstanding. You can work on the footwork.

This play right here should get Rams fans fired up!

This wasn’t a perfect game for Goff. He still has room for improvement. He needs to continue to work on throwing on the run.

Here he gets a tad bit of pressure, moves to his right, has room to work and throws a worm finder into the turf. Making these types of throws when the pocket breaks down will take his game to whole another level.

Week 1 was a huge improvement for Jared Goff. Sure, it was against the lowly Colts, but Goff looked confident and the offense looks to be in a good rhythm. He’ll have some ups and downs this season, but if I were a Rams fan, I’d be excited about where this is headed.

PFF: Rams QB Goff continues strong start to 2017

https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pro-rams-qb-goff-continues-strong-start-to-2017

2016 first overall pick Jared Goff continued his strong start to the 2017 season Thursday night against the 49ers, earning an 80.0 overall grade, raising his season grade to 74.3 (up from 45.6 his rookie year).

Under the tutelage of Sean McVay, Goff already has more than twice as many yards on deep passes (304) in three games than he did all of last year (142).

He has been especially good when kept clean, earning a 127.1 passer rating on his 56 dropbacks without pressure.

InvaderRam wrote:

i’m encouraged by the fact that as good as he’s played so far i still don’t think it’s even really all clicked for him yet. i think a lot of what he’s doing right now is based purely on his natural throwing ability and instincts.

Good write up, well put. I agree with pretty much all of it.

Zooey wrote:

Goff is already better than Bradford ever was (with the Rams).

I agree and I like Bradford.

The next question is how he (eventually) compares to (alphabetical order) Bulger, Everett, and Warner.

Anyway, like all Rams fans, I can only hope that he turns out in the long run to be AT LEAST as good as Austin Davis.

…

from Monday Morning QB: NFL Week 3 Had It All

Peter King

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/09/25/nfl-week-3-jake-elliott-eagles-kicker-giants

…

Look how much better second-year quarterback Jared Goff is, compared to rookie quarterback Jared Goff:

Rams W-L /Comp. Pct./ Avg. Yards/ TD-INT/ Passer Rating
0-7/ .546/ 155.6/ 5-7/ 63.6
2-1/ .704/ 272.3/ 5-1/ 118.2

Obviously, this can’t all be about coaching. But coach Sean McVay and his hands-on Goff guys—quarterback coach Greg Olson and offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur—have gone back and educated Goff about the littlest things.

Formations and pass-route combinations have been a big part of the education. Take Goff’s one-yard touchdown pass to Sammy Watkins on Thursday night—made possible by an interesting formation with Watkins paired with another receiver to the left of the formation that was as close to a pick play, but entirely legal, as an offense can run. It’s just smart stuff that makes life easier for the quarterback.

Having a significantly better offensive line helps. And the importing of Andrew Whitworth as a free-agent left tackle has meant the world. It’s like the importing of Chris Sale to the Red Sox pitching staff—it changes everything. Compare the protection from the left tackle for the Rams last year to the protection from the left tackle this year, stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus:

• 2016: Left tackle Greg Robinson allowed 40 sacks/significant pressures/hits of the quarterbacks in 511 pass drops. That’s one pressure per 12.8 pass attempts.

• 2017: Left tackle Andrew Whitworth has allowed one sack/significant pressure/hit of the quarterback in 84 pass drops. That’s one pressure per 84 pass attempts.

When I spoke with Whitworth on Saturday, he credited the teaching of McVay.

“The reality is, how many true teachers are there out there, rather than yellers and screamers,” Whitworth said. “The most impressive thing about Coach McVay is he’s a teacher. The greatest coaches are the ones who can not just stand in a classroom and instruct on the board what to do—but they can stand right beside me, looking through my eyes, and tell me how to do something. Teach me something. That can last forever. That’s what I see with coach McVay and Jared.

“Now, when I see Jared, I see a really confident guy. He’s told me, ‘I feel good about any single play we call. I just feel like I need to make the decisions. I don’t think, Is this what we should have called? Is this the right situation for this call?’ I think it’s important that after a play, Sean is not there to criticize him when he makes the wrong decision. He knows the only way for him to learn this is to go through it. It’s been good to watch.”