This is what we were discussing last January.
https://t.co/iQ1A8RyCds Ranks #Rams QB Jared Goff As Worst QB In NFL https://t.co/pyoTb8L5JC
— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) January 6, 2017
What a difference a year makes.
ICYMI: Jared Goff led the NFL in pass efficiency. Jared. Goff. https://t.co/85mhwPl0G9
— Football Perspective (@fbgchase) January 2, 2018
Now a lot of that credit has to go to Sean McVay and Les Snead. Snead for signing Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan, McVay for understanding Goff’s strengths and weaknesses and creating successful game plans for his QB.
But at the end of the day, Goff still has to execute, which he did marvelously throughout the regular season. Keeping in mind that he started 15 games in 2017 vs 7 in 2016, take a look at his improvement (2017 stats listed first).
TDs: 28 vs 5
INT percentage: 1.5 vs 3.4
Sacks: 25 vs 26
YPG: 253.6 vs 155.6
Rating: 100.5 vs 63.6
There are many, many more ways to quantify his improvement, but I thought these five summed it up pretty succinctly. He was better protected, had nearly 100 yards per game more, protected the ball, and it showed in his QB rating.
What that doesn’t show is all the smart throwaways and check-downs he threw this season. Goff showed that he had above average pocket presence as well as that internal clock that QBs need to avoid sacks.
He only had a handful of egregious mistakes this season and quickly dumped the ‘bust’ label that dogged him after his rookie campaign. Now we’re biased as Rams fans, but I think we’re justified in saying that Goff belongs in the conversation for comeback player of the year.