LA Rams QB Jared Goff TNF performance similar to SB 53

As Goff struggles, pass more?

The truth is that Goff is throwing for more interceptions because the ball is in his hands more.  Let’s examine the bare-bones statistics. In seven games as a rookie, QB Jared Goff dropped back 205 times and threw five touchdowns and seven interceptions.  In 2017, Goff started all 16 games and dropped back 477 times to throw for 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In 2018, Goff dropped back 561 times and threw for 32 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

In 2019, the offensive line and the running game struggled. So Goff dropped back and threw 626 times, throwing for 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.  So far in 2020, the Rams hurler has dropped back 475 times and thrown for 18 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. In 2020, Goff has already thrown as often as he had in all of 2017.

Why so impatient with Goff?

There is nothing ‘broken’ about Jared Goff. He is in his fifth NFL season and has already thrown for 17,728 yards and 105 touchdowns to 53 interceptions. He’s rushed 155 times for 282 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 42 fumbles. All of this is a normal career track for a hurler who develops into an elite quarterback in his career.  The first five seasons of any quarterback are a bit inconsistent and rough.  So when Fox analyst Terry Bradshaw urged the Rams to ‘Sit his (Goff’s) ass down’, it was a knee-jerk reaction and not a plan with any logical reasoning behind it.

Jared Goff          67 games   1490/2344 (63.6%)  17728 Yds 105 TDs 53 INTs 10 R TDs 42 Fmbls
Russell Wilson 80 games  1476 /2321 (63.5%)  18193 Yds 127 TDs 45 INTs 12 R TDs 46 Fmbls
Pey. Manning    80 games  1749/2817  (62.1%)  20618 Yds 138 TDs 100 INTs 9 R TDs 27 Fmbls
Drew Brees       59 games   1025/1809  (56.7%) 12348 Yds     80 TDs 53 INTs 4 R TDs   24 Fmbls

So after examining the first five seasons of the NFL quarterbacks who many consider being ‘elite’, where does Jared Goff jump off the page to anyone as a bad quarterback? He has played fewer games than most, a better completion rate, and well within the range of ‘turnovers’ of some of the best quarterbacks to play the game. Goff is no more turnover machine than any other quarterback in that list. But notice how more often he asked been asked to drop back than many quarterbacks?