Rams QB may be the blueprint for transition from spread

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Jared Goff, NFL disruptor? Rams QB may be the blueprint for transition from spread
https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...380210-998d-11e7-82e4-f1076f6d6152_story.html
By Adam KilgoreSeptember 15 at 10:01 AM
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Rams quarterback Jared Goff had a promising season opener. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Tony Franklin happened to be in the Los Angeles area, on a recruiting trip, so he attended the first Los Angeles Rams practice Jared Goff had under new Coach Sean McVay. Franklin was Goff’s offensive coordinator at Cal, and he held two steadfast beliefs: His former pupil could thrive in the NFL if the league didn’t let him down, and the league had plenty of coaches capable of letting him down.

Franklin, now the offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State, felt relief as he watched McVay work. The practice moved at a rapid tempo. McVay focused less on a predetermined system than on actions Goff performed well. The prior season had been different, Franklin believed, and set up Goff for failure. Franklin left the practice convinced Goff would excel under his new coach.

“The big thing in the NFL is getting lucky with getting a coach that actually knows what they’re doing,” Franklin said. “He got fortunate they hired McVay.”

The Rams selected Goff with the first overall pick in hopes he could lift their franchise, both in a new city and a league bereft of quality quarterbacks. The future of the NFL may depend on the ability of evaluators and coaches to translate the skills of passers who, like Goff, played their whole lives in spread offenses, the dominant system in college and every level beneath the NFL. The league so far has flailed with mixed success in turning prolific spread passers into capable NFL quarterbacks. Goff will be another data point, and perhaps the best illustration yet of the role coaching plays.

In his rookie season under Coach Jeff Fisher, Goff averaged a paltry 5.3 yards per attempt, completed 55 percent of his passes and threw seven interceptions against five touchdowns. The Rams lost all seven of his starts, and many around the league doubted any chance at future success despite the fact he was just 22 years old.

[Analysis: The NFL has an offensive line crisis]

Goff has played only one game under McVay, against a dreadful Colts team that may be the worst in the NFL. But the difference was drastic. Goff completed 21 of 29 passes for 306 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception, finishing the week as the league’s third-highest rated quarterback.

“I think you see him get more and more comfortable, just like anyone else would,” McVay said. “It just might be a different philosophical approach. It’s really been about over the last handful of months, figuring out what he’s comfortable with and what fits our players.”

In recent years, NFL coaches and executives have lamented the difficulty in evaluating and training spread quarterbacks. The league has borrowed concepts from the spread, but two primary features — spacing of players and quarterback runs — can be smothered by fast, sophisticated NFL defenses.

Still, the success of the spread in college ensures it is not going away any time soon. NFL teams, then, do not need to find better quarterbacks. They need to find coaches who have creativity and a feel for what the next generation of quarterbacks can do well.

“When you look around the league and you see people, they constantly make excuses,” Franklin said. “It gets really old. ‘He played in this; he played in that.’ I think 99 percent of the time, they have no idea what they’re talking about, no clue. They talk about our offense and say, ‘He never went through a read progression.’ That’s all we do. That’s all Jared did from the time he got” to Cal.

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Goff will take on the Washington Redskins’ defense in Week 2. (Alex Gallardo/AP)


Goff, having transitioned from the spread to running an NFL team, chafes at the idea that spread quarterbacks have to learn a completely different game. Learning how to take a snap from under center, for example, was a painless process. Dak Prescottcame from Mississippi State, where plays demanded he decipher only half the field, and led the Cowboys to 13 victories as a rookie.

“It can be a bit overblown,” Goff said. “The main thing that teams should understand is, if you approach it the right way, you can teach anyone anything. A lot of times, people don’t think of it that way. They try to fit something that doesn’t work. By no means was that the case with me, but you see it happen all the time.”

Redskins backup quarterback Colt McCoy, who played in the spread and has spent eight years in the NFL, was asked how NFL teams can better acclimate spread quarterbacks.

“Good coaches,” McCoy replied, shrugging.

Franklin pointed to the case of New England quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who played in the Baylor offensive system under Dino Babers at Eastern Illinois, “truly as far away from an NFL offense as it could be,” Franklin said.

“The guys that don’t do it are the guys that are going to die as dinosaurs,” Franklin said. Patriots Coach Bill Belichick “just goes and learns; that’s why he goes on to win every year. All these other guys just kind of switch jobs and continue to lose every year.”

[Remember when the future appeared so bright for Andrew Luck and the Colts?]

Last year under Fisher, Franklin said, Goff played in “a true, old-school, NFL-style offense. Everything is slow. There is no rhythm changes. Everything is about not losing a game rather than winning a game. Incredibly conservative.”

In Week 1, Franklin saw McVay use tempo to prevent the Colts from substituting and allow Goff to call plays at the line, based on what the defense showed. McVay employed play-action passes that simplified Goff’s decisions. He encouraged Goff to throw deep. Most of all, he designed an attack meant to emphasize Goff’s strengths rather than stifle his weaknesses.

“It seems to be there’s this group of people that sell the NFL where they want to think this brand they have is so much better, and the only people who can play in it are the most incredibly gifted, intelligent people, and the game is so complicated that unless you’re a genius, you can’t understand it,” Franklin said. “That’s the exact opposite of what I believe a teacher does.

“A teacher takes something that could be incredibly complex, and they try to make it simple to the brain of the student. That’s what we did. Jared and I have talked. The concepts they run are somewhat similar. They may call it something different. They may have a way of verbalizing it differently. It doesn’t mean one is better than another. They’re just a different way of saying the same thing.”

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Rams Coach Sean McVay, left, talks with quarterback Jared Goff during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) (Jae C. Hong/AP)

McVay, a charismatic and creative 31-year-old, may use Goff as an example of how to integrate spread quarterbacks into the NFL. But teams still will need to sift through what is applicable, and what is not, when drafting quarterbacks playing in systems designed to work against slower defenses, on fields with hashmarks that, crucially, make the wide side of the field more spacious.

“These offenses they run in college are so different than what’s actually ran in the NFL,” Redskins left tackle Trent Williamssaid. “You really can’t expect players who never even took a snap under center, who never took a seven-step drop, who never had to throw a ball into a tight window, never had a three- or four-read progression on a pass play, it’s hard for them to expect them to come in and do that at an elite level. I know it’s extremely hard on teams picking quarterbacks.”

NFL teams, though, have no choice but to adjust. They must improve at untangling which skills will translate. The Cowboys selected Prescott in the fourth round last year, in part, because offensive coordinator Scott Linehan was impressed with his aptitude and leadership when he coached him in Senior Bowl practice.

“What’s important as far as working that transition to the NFL is doing a great job with the evaluation of the person, to see how those skills would translate,” McVay said. “How do they process information? Are they able to make quick, good decision with the football?”

The speed of NFL defenders will prevent some spread concepts, such as offensive linemen spaced out further apart, from ever immigrating to the NFL.

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“You give Aaron Donald a three-foot split and see how long he makes your day,” Williams said.

It also mitigates how much teams can subject their quarterback to contact.

“These college offenses that expose the quarterback to hits, when they step up a level, the pro game can’t change to the college game, because quarterbacks would get killed,” one NFL executive said. “Then that becomes a business decision as well.”

The NFL cannot fully mimic how college offenses operate, but they borrow enough concepts to maximize a spread quarterback’s talent. Goff has many more weeks to prove his 2017 debut wasn’t a fluke, but he and McVay may be providing the latest template for how to turn a college quarterback into an NFL success.

“They know what they’re doing,” Franklin said. “They know how to do it. They know how to play to his strengths. I think he’s going to be a really good football player, because he’s got a really good coaching staff.”
 

RamBall

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Everyone that meets McVay is impressed and blown away. I think Martz was the only person to not say great things about McVay, of course he has never met McVay either.
 

Faceplant

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Last year under Fisher, Franklin said, Goff played in “a true, old-school, NFL-style offense. Everything is slow. There is no rhythm changes. Everything is about not losing a game rather than winning a game. Incredibly conservative.”
boom-2gjd45e-920x613.jpg
 

dolphinlover123

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I liked Tony Franklin when he was at Cal. He is a kind of an eccentric which is why I thought he was a good fit at Cal. Hes a smart guy.
 

F. Mulder

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I thought this was a very interesting article. I agree that too many times coaches have "their system" and try to plug people into it. I get that drafting or looking for certain skills is relevant in plugging certain players into your system. However, when you have a highly acclaimed player at ANY position and you select them then it is up to you to work around them and their unique skills that made them stand out as an elite player. Fisher was just so stuck in the 1980s football that it wouldn't have mattered if he had Tom Brady or Floyd the Barber---they were going to fit into his system regardless. I am so impressed that SM designs schemes and approaches based on what his group of players offer vs jamming his tried and true system (sarcasm) down everyone's throat like Fisher and others tend to do

IF Goff flames out it won't be due to crappy coaching where if Fisher were here I would wonder. OTOH- if Goff becomes who some of us hope and think he can then a lot of credit has to go to the individual coaching and scheme fits to maximize his talents.

It's so nice to have a 21st century coach vs the Fred Flinstone variety.
 

Ramlock

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Tony Franklin that was fired at Auburn and now coaches at Middle Tennessee State.

Yeah, I'm going to be impressed with what he has to say about NFL offenses.
 

F. Mulder

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Tony Franklin that was fired at Auburn and now coaches at Middle Tennessee State.

Yeah, I'm going to be impressed with what he has to say about NFL offenses.
Don't get caught up on the source but on the message. There are many people who have said the same thing-it comes down to maximizing the talents of your players. And for what it's worth-a lot of quality coaches have been fired; certainly some a helluva lot better than Franklin. Doesn't mean he doesn't know the game or the correct approach. Just saying
 

A.J. Hicks

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Everyone that meets McVay is impressed and blown away. I think Martz was the only person to not say great things about McVay, of course he has never met McVay either.

And if Martz did meet Mcvay he'd be blown away. Mcvay would sit down and try to learn everything I mean everything he could about Football from Martz. He'd then go on to memorize every bit of it and implement things into his own game.

The quote from I believe Reed of Redskins earlier this week on Sean Mcvay. "He hears everything"
 

yrba1

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While Goff did operate under a spread offense, the Bear Raid system did have its nuances that made his transition smoother than expected: Bear Raid operates under shotgun on every down (don't think Goff ever played under center in Cal) but it also requires being able to make pro-style reads on the field.

His next important step in development will be able to make audibles on the O-line, he obviously wasn't ready to manage it his rookie year but making NFL progressions and throws second nature to him will be the next challenge. Thankfully Whitworth is calling the shots for now, he's definitely earned the Captain's patch
 

kurtfaulk

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“It can be a bit overblown,” Goff said. “The main thing that teams should understand is, if you approach it the right way, you can teach anyone anything. A lot of times, people don’t think of it that way. They try to fit something that doesn’t work. By no means was that the case with me, but you see it happen all the time.”

Sure it wasn't Jared.

He just described his whole rookie season.

.
 

jjab360

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The trick when evaluating spread QBs is separating the talent level from the production. I think when you did that Goff still graded as an excellent prospect. I believe Snead made the right choice between him and Wentz, Goff is just the more accurate passer, throws with anticipation and touch and a more catchable ball in general.
 

Ramlock

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Don't get caught up on the source but on the message. There are many people who have said the same thing-it comes down to maximizing the talents of your players. And for what it's worth-a lot of quality coaches have been fired; certainly some a helluva lot better than Franklin. Doesn't mean he doesn't know the game or the correct approach. Just saying

I know the source.

He's an Air Raid pastor....preachin' it
 

Ram65

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In Week 1, Franklin saw McVay use tempo to prevent the Colts from substituting and allow Goff to call plays at the line, based on what the defense showed. McVay employed play-action passes that simplified Goff’s decisions. He encouraged Goff to throw deep. Most of all, he designed an attack meant to emphasize Goff’s strengths rather than stifle his weaknesses.

Amazing what Goff and McVay were able to do in one off season and training camp. I was surprised that Goff and the Rams ran quick tempo offense early. Really adds a valuable dimension to the offense. IIRC they had 5 passes 20 yards or more. What a great change from the recent past.
 

Soul Surfer

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The article has an interesting link about awful overall offensive line play and low-scoring games.

Our offense is looking better and better every day.