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

Five seasons. Five different position coaches

Goff is now in the hands of his fifth position coach: Chris Weinke, Greg Olson, Zac Taylor, Shane Waldron, and this year he has Kevin O’Connell. All the while, he continues to show up.  And he still gets a little excited with each new football season. Just a little? Yes, as he is the offensive leader. One foot on the ground at all times comes with the territory.

But I saw a change coming when the Rams hired their new offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. He worked a mini-miracle in coaching up Washington’s rookie QB Dwayne Haskins. Now the Rams are working to clean up the offensive line, Goff’s footwork, and throwing balance, but the most important fix in all of this is cleaning up the playbook. And suddenly the offensive coordinator is listening to Goff’s feedback.  His reaction?

The Rams are finally “getting it” this year.

The sky is the limit

The results of this three-tiered “correction” plan will get more time out of the offensive line, more elusiveness out of Goff, and quick plays designed to neutralize A-gap blitzes.  How can that help the Rams offense, in the long run, this season?  The Rams offense has been so time-compressed that the team has struggled to go beyond the primary receiver on plays.  Success on offense at extending players will give Goff the necessary time to scan for secondary and tertiary receivers.

The Rams have a man open on virtually every play. Finding the open receiver was a huge challenge for the Rams in 2019. But the winds of change are blowing over Los Angeles now. Subtle changes that will translate into a huge improvement. Goff finally has a coach who truly speaks his language.

O’Connell will help Goff elevate his play to his 2018 level, with only a modest uptick from the offensive line play. LA Rams quarterback Jared Goff won’t stand for blitzes any longer. He’ll bob, weave, step aside, roll out to the right or left, and throw on the run.

This will be fun to watch.