Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff misses the cut on Doug Farrar’s Top 11 Quarterbacks list

Doug Farrar, who is a great football writer to follow, published his list for the Top 11 quarterbacks in the NFL.

Let’s get the most important observation out in the open: Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff is not on it.

I’m equal parts surprised and not surprised. I’m surprised not to see Goff on a list of “best quarterbacks” because I’m so used to seeing him on everyone’s lists this off-season. His past two seasons under Sean McVay have been great, and his progression seems to be on a linear incline.

But I’m not surprised he’s not on Farrar’s list because Farrar is smart.

“…these quarterbacks combine a sense of defensive intent with arm talent, composure under all kinds of pressure and rare mechanical refinement.”

We all love Goff, our human version of a golden retriever. But none of us can say with a straight face that Goff is among the best in the league in those three areas. It’s arguable, at best, to say that he’s among the best in the league in two of those areas.

It’s normal to have a knee-jerk reaction when seeing who made the list over Goff, like Cleveland QB Baker Mayfield and Philadelphia QB Carson Wentz. It’s also normal to make the “SCOREBOARD” argument here because only one quarterback on Farrar’s list made the Super Bowl this year (Tom Brady). But it’s hard to ignore Goff’s utter collapse in the Big Game.

Goff completed 19 of 38 passes for 229 yards for no touchdowns and one interception, which came at the worst possible time in the fourth quarter. He also missed a wide-open Brandin Cooks in the third quarter, which would have given the Rams a four-point lead.

Not exactly a “top quarterback” performance.

Farrar’s list does an excellent breakdown of everyone’s body of work this past season and offers a compelling argument for every guy listed. It doesn’t delve into why certain golden-haired beauties were left of the list, though.