LA Rams QB Jared Goff won’t stand for blitzes any longer

LA Rams QB Jared Goff won’t stand for blitzes any longer. He’s learning how to shed defenders with better footwork, and how to throw while off-balance

Think back to the LA Rams‘ worst games in 2019. (in announcer’s voice) Quarterback Jared Goff surveys the field. Cooks to his right, Woods to the left, Cupp in the slot. Goff back to pass and whoa! I don’t know how he managed to get that one away while in the grasp of a blitzing defender.  Oh, the memories of what might have been. Does it sound familiar?

If it doesn’t, it should. While Jared Goff was one of the least sacked quarterbacks, he was one of the most pressured. Not just pressured after a three-second drop-back and failing to find the open receiver. Pressured as in by the time he was setting his feet, he was being dropped onto his arse by a defender.

Under pressure!

The kind of pressure that doesn’t let you scan to your secondary receivers. The kind of pressure that forces you to throw the ball before you are ready – and sometimes didn’t see that defensive back in position to make a play. The kind of pressure where everyone looks at your stats at the end of the season and thinks “Huh? I wonder why he’s playing like crap now?”. Yes, that kind of pressure.

Can he blame the offensive line? Sure! Why not! Blaming somebody so as not to feel responsible – either for the problem or for its correction. And therein lies the problem. The Rams invested the majority of their limited salary cap into the quarterback position. The offensive line is what it is. The Rams not only have underpaid the offensive line as a unit, but the team has already spent the necessary salary cap dollars elsewhere.  That means the Rams will not be signing marquis offensive linemen anytime soo.